Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 3 The Enchanting Court _ Chapter 8 The Legend Begins
Number one appears
Li Dongyang was by no means a sympathizer of Liu Jin. The reason why he hesitated was precisely because he noticed a factor that was ignored by other ministers-Zhu Houzhao's character.
Jiao Fang's betrayal was just an accidental factor. The reason why Liu Jin succeeded was ultimately due to Zhu Houzhao. This player would not kill his playmate, and the "Eight Tigers" would never sit still and wait to die.
Li Dongyang is a thoughtful person. He thinks carefully and sees farther and more than Liu Jian and Xie Qian. He knows very well that it is not that easy to deal with Liu Jin.
Liu Jin is a terrifying opponent, far more terrifying than imagined. To defeat this powerful enemy, we must wait for a better opportunity.
Yes, now is not the time.
But other officials didn't seem to think so. They deeply regretted the departure of Liu Jian and Xie Qian, and wrote letters to persuade them to stay. The first batch of officials to write included Bo Yanzheng, the censor of the Supervisory Yuan, and Dai Xian, the Nanjing magistrate, and more than 20 people.
, Liu Jin handled this matter very decisively - Tingzhang.
There are more than 20 people with imperial staffs, and each one is beaten with a letter. No one can be missing!
The worst thing was that Dai Mian was killed in Nanjing. He was actually beaten to death. In order to save Dai Mian, many people submitted a second batch of letters. Liu Jin treated these people equally and sentenced them all to imperial rods.
Among this group of people who were spanked, there was a petty official named Wang Shouren. Compared with those who were spanked at the same time, he was not impressive at all. But this time the imperial rod had an extraordinary significance for him.
, this thirty-four-year-old young Beijing official is about to step onto the center stage of history, and his legendary experience begins.
Head of the Martial Arts Selection Department of the Ministry of War, Wang Shouren, a sixth-grade Sesame Officer, will shine unrivaled in the contemporary era and shine through the ages.
legend
In 1905, Japanese Navy Admiral Togo Heihachiro returned to his homeland. As a rare genius general in Japanese military history, he led the Japanese fleet with inferior equipment to completely annihilate the Russian Pacific Fleet and Baltic Fleet in the Russo-Japanese War, becoming a household name in Japan.
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Due to his outstanding performance in the war, the Japanese Emperor appointed him as the Minister of Naval Command, recalled him to Japan, and held a celebration banquet for him.
At this banquet, facing the praises from everyone in the audience, Togo Heihachiro remained silent. He just took out his badge and showed it to everyone. There were only seven characters on it:
I will bow my head and worship Yangming all my life.
Wang Shouren, also known as Bo'an, also known as Yangming.
In the eighth year of Chenghua (1472), Wang Shouren was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. Those who achieved great success often came from a poor family. At a young age, they had to go to the mountains to chop firewood and go to the sea to fish. There were several sick relatives at home, and they shed tears every day.
This is almost a common practice. Unfortunately, Mr. Wang Shouren's situation is exactly the opposite.
Wang Shouren's family is a well-known big landowner, very wealthy, and he also has a very famous ancestor - Wang Xizhi. I don't know whether this is true, but given the conditions of his family, it would not be surprising.
Most of the ancestors of the Wang family had served as officials. It is said that their ancestor Wang Gang once worked as a follower for Liu Bowen, and he reached the highest level of a fourth-rank official. Although the descendants of the later generations were not close, they were still okay. But when it came to Wang Shouren's father Wang Hua, something happened
change.
In the seventeenth year of Chenghua (1481), ten-year-old Wang Shouren left Zhejiang and moved to Beijing with his family. Because smoke was coming out of his family's grave, his father Wang Hua won the first prize in the exam that year.
Now the Wang family is even more impressive, and Wang Hua's sense of responsibility has also been greatly enhanced. After all, I am a hero and a hero, and he is already the number one scholar. Even if his son cannot be a hero than himself in the future, he cannot be a fool. So he invited many teachers.
Taught Wang Shouren to read.
Ten-year-old Wang Shouren began to read the Four Books and Five Classics. He understood quickly and could draw inferences from one instance. His intelligence surprised even the older gentlemen. However, soon after, the teachers discovered something was wrong.
According to the teachers' reports to Wang Zhuangyuan, Wang Shouren was not a good student and did not sit in the private school. However, he liked to dance with guns and sticks, read military books, and also liked to ask some weird questions and write some inexplicable things. There are poems to prove it:
When the mountain is close to the moon and far away, the moon seems small, so this means that the mountain is larger than the moon.
If a person has eyes as big as the sky, he will see that the mountains are high and the moon is wider.
In the eyes of the gentlemen, this was a ridiculous limerick. After Wang Hua read it, he thought for a long time, called Wang Shouren, and asked him a question:
"Is the study boring?"
Wang Shouren nodded.
"Come with me to go outside the customs."
What Wang Hua meant outside the pass was Juyong Pass. He was keen and felt an indescribable mystery from this poem. He realized for the first time that his son was extraordinary and that his study could not accommodate him. Wang Hua decided
Take him out of isolation to broaden his horizons.
The name of this poem is "Moon-covered Mountain House", written by Wang Shouren, who was twelve years old. This is also his first poem that has been passed down through the ages.
This poem may seem childish in language and has the charm of a limerick, but it is full of mystery. Which is bigger, the mountain or the moon? This twelve-year-old boy used his unique way of thinking and observation to give a plausible answer.
His mode of thinking was called dialectics by later generations.
Wang Hua made an unusual promise. At that time, Juyongguan was no longer what it was in the Zhu Di era. Mongolian cavalry often appeared. It was an extremely risky thing to take his teenage son out of the customs. But after Wang Hua considered it,
, finally fulfilled his promise.
Soon after, he regretted his decision.
Outside Juyong Pass, the young Wang Shouren saw the vast grasslands and deserts for the first time, and appreciated the heroic joy of galloping horses, the great achievements of the Hongwu period, the martial prowess of Yongle, and those past stormy years, which deeply impressed him.
's heart.
A seed began to sprout in his heart.
Wang Hua originally just wanted to take his son out for a walk, but Wang Shouren's next move surprised him.
One day not long after, Wang Shouren went out of his way and solemnly walked to Wang Hua and said to his father seriously:
"I have already written a letter to the emperor. As long as you give me tens of thousands of troops, I am willing to go out of the country to bring peace to the country and bring peace to the Tatars!"
According to research, the speaker, Wang Shouren, was fifteen years old at this time.
Wang Hua was silent. After a long time, he finally woke up from a dream and finally responded.
He was very excited and picked up the book at hand (he couldn't find anyone suitable for it at the moment), and hit Wang Shouren with all his might. While hitting him back, he said:
"I'll make you crazy! I'll make you crazy!"
Mr. Wang Shouren's dream of serving the country for the first time was shattered, but he was not discouraged. Soon after, he had a new life plan, a more ambitious plan.
Wang Hua's intestines were filled with regret. He never imagined that his precious son would really dare to think and do anything.
Maybe after a while, he will forget these stupid thoughts. Wang Hua once thought so naively.
Maybe it's his prayer
It had an effect, and not long after, Wang Shouren came to see him again, this time to admit his mistake.
Wang Shouren said calmly:
"My last idea was unrealistic. Thank you father for your teaching."
Wang Hua was very pleased and said with a smile:
"It doesn't matter. It's good to have ambitions. As long as you study hard in the future, it's not impossible."
"No need, I won't go to war. Now I have new ambitions."
"Oh, what do you want to do?"
"Be a sage!"
This time Wang Hua did not remain silent, he quickly responded - a loud slap in the face.
It's over, it's over, my reputation will be ruined in the hands of this kid.
Wang Hua finally reached a consensus with the teachers that if he ignored this boy, the whole family would be defeated by him in the future. After careful consideration, he decided to arrange a marriage for his son. He believed that as long as this boy got married, there would be
If my wife takes care of me, I won't do anything outrageous anymore.
Wang Hua was the number one scholar and once served as a lecturer to the emperor. He had a high position. Although Wang Shouren liked to make trouble, the young man was quite handsome (I have seen the portrait and can attest), so after the news that the Wang family was getting married came out, many people
People struggled to apply.
For safety reasons and because he did not want this kid to stay in the capital and cause trouble, Wang Hua chose an official girl from Hongdu (Nanchang), Jiangxi Province, and then called Wang Shouren, who had just turned seventeen, and told him to pack his bags immediately and go.
When you get married in Jiangxi, don’t hang around in front of yourself.
Wang Hua arranged such an arranged marriage for Wang Shouren just to seek peace and quiet, but he did not expect that his move would bring him even greater trouble.
The stunned Wang Shouren was kicked out of his home and ran to Hongdu, Jiangxi Province. Fortunately, he learned etiquette fairly well, and his father-in-law was also very satisfied with him. After going back and forth, the marriage was arranged and the date of the wedding was determined.
This father-in-law probably doesn't go to the capital often and has never heard of Mr. Wang Shouren's deeds, but it doesn't matter, because soon, he will realize how powerful his son-in-law is.
The wedding day has arrived. It is an official wedding and the groom is Wang Zhuangyuan’s son. Naturally, it should be more lively and grand. My father-in-law’s family is very busy. However, when everyone is done and ready to salute, they realize that a key person is missing -
-bridegroom.
This is no joke. Whether or not you get married is another matter. How can you explain to Wang Hua if you lose someone?
The father-in-law was sweating and sent all his men out to search, but no matter how hard they looked, they could not be found. The whole family was so anxious that they even wanted to die. It was not until the next morning that they found themselves in a Taoist temple on the outskirts of the city.
Everyone was very excited when they found Wang Shouren.
But Wang Shouren, who had been missing for a day, was not excited at all. He looked at the sweaty people in surprise and asked his question:
"What do you want from me?"
It turned out that this brother was wandering around on his wedding day and saw a Taoist temple, so he went in to chat with the Taoist priest. The more he chatted, the more enthusiastic he became, and he began to meditate like a Taoist priest. He did this for a whole day. It was not until someone reminded him that he remembered something happened yesterday.
Do.
In any case, Wang Shouren successfully married, got a wife and started a family. His anecdotes spread throughout Hongdu, and everyone thought he was a weirdo.
Wang Shouren was not a weirdo. Those who laughed at him didn't know that this seemingly weird young man was a man of firm will and a man of his word. The Four Books and Five Classics had already made him tired. He didn't care about being an official in the imperial examination. At the age of seventeen
In this way, he set the only goal for his life - to become a sage.
It’s good to have ideals, but the ideal chosen by Brother Wang is really not very practical. After all, except for a few lunatics who claimed to have achieved this ideal, there were only two or three people recognized by everyone, such as Kong and Meng.
wait.
Wang Shouren himself couldn't figure it out, so he wandered around Buddhist temples and Taoists, hoping to find inspiration from monks and Taoists to become sages. But apart from learning to chant sutras and meditate, he didn't even see the shadow of sages. He was not discouraged and continued to
To pursue the path of the sages.
A way will eventually be found, Wang Shouren firmly believes in this.
Perhaps his sincerity finally moved God, and soon after, it pointed out the only correct path to Wang Shouren.
In the second year of Hongzhi (1489), the eighteen-year-old Wang Shouren left Jiangxi and returned to his hometown of Yuyao with his new wife. During the journey, he met a scholar and they went together to chat and relieve their boredom.
During the conversation, he raised the questions in his mind:
"How to become a sage?"
The scholar thought for a long time and came up with a four-word answer:
"The study of things and their principles."
"What do you mean?"
The scholar laughed:
"You will understand naturally when you go back and read Zhu Shengren's books."
Wang Shouren was ecstatic, thinking he had finally found the answer.
The path of saints
Zhu Shengren is Zhu Xi. Speaking of this dear friend, everyone on earth knows it. His popularity is unparalleled. Even the great ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to change his family tree and make him his grandson.
But the debate about him has not subsided for hundreds of years. Those who scolded him said he was a scum, and those who praised him said he was a sage. But no matter what, both sides admitted this: he was a person who influenced history.
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What kind of person was Zhu Xi?
Supporters believe that he is an iconic figure in Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties and a great philosopher.
Opponents believe that he is an iconic figure in Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties and the chief culprit in restricting thought.
In fact, Mr. Zhu Xi is far less complicated than people say. In my opinion, he is just a person with pursuits, but his goals are a bit special.
What he pursues is the deepest secret in the world.
(Tip: The following content will describe some philosophical issues that are difficult to understand. I believe everyone can understand it based on the way I explain it. If it doesn't work, just read a book.)
Since ancient times, there has been a group of monks who abide by the precepts, do not eat meat, do not drink alcohol, and chant sutras and chant Buddha's name all day long. However, unlike other monks, they often sit still for decades, and some even beat and torture themselves.
My body is in great pain but still the same as before.
There is such a group of martial arts practitioners. After years of training, their martial arts skills have become very strong, but they practice harder and persevere.
There is such a group of scholars, some of whom have learned a lot or even become famous, but they still study hard day and night, regardless of the weather.
They are not insane idiots who are causing trouble for themselves for no reason, working so hard just to find one thing.
Legend has it that there is a magical thing in this world. It is invisible, but it is everywhere, as light as nothing, but as heavy as a mountain. If you can know this thing, you can understand all the mysteries of this world.
, see through all disguises, understand all knowledge, and have control over everything in the world!
this
It is not a legend, but an objective fact.
The name of such a thing is "Tao".
The so-called Tao is the sum of all laws in the world and the most fundamental law. As long as you can understand the Tao, you can understand everything in the world.
This is really a great temptation, so for thousands of years, it has attracted countless people to pursue it one after another. More importantly, facts have proved that Tao not only exists, but can also be mastered by people.
For different types of seekers, Tao has different expressions. For monks, the name of Tao is "Enlightenment", and for scholars like Zhu Xi, its name is "Li".
The "enlightenment" that monks pursue in their dreams is not illusory. In fact, it is an extremely mysterious pleasure, far better than all the joys and all spiritual drugs in the world. Those who have reached this state will regard everything as if it is nothing, and there is nothing.
There is no worry, no joy or sorrow, and joyful feelings always remain in the heart. Buddhism calls it "enlightenment".
The most famous "enlightened" person is the "Sixth Patriarch" Huineng, and later monks Deshan and Linji are also world-famous.
The exhaustion of all mysteries is like a drop dropped into the void; the exhaustion of the cardinal world is like a drop dropped into a huge ravine.
This is the so-called way of the Buddha.
As for the way of warriors, it can be roughly explained by such a story:
According to the saying in martial arts, the longer the weapon, the better, which is the so-called "an inch longer, an inch stronger." However, it is said that during the Five Dynasties, there was a master who used his sword, but it became shorter and shorter. By the time he was fifty or sixty years old,
When his swordsmanship was so perfect, he no longer used the sword. Every time he fought, he would go into battle shirtless, but he was never defeated.
When I saw this story, I really began to believe a common phrase in novels:
"There is no sword in the hand, but there is a sword in the heart."
Zhu Xi's Tao comes from Confucianism, also called "reason". It is neither enlightenment nor the practice of martial arts. This thing is read from a book, and it can still be used. Once you understand it, you will know everything.
All things and things in the world must be broad-minded, unfazed by favors and humiliations, fearless, capable of self-cultivation, harmonious family management, governing the country, and peace of the world!
Only if the world is sincere, it can fulfill its nature; if it can fulfill its nature, it can fulfill the nature of human beings; if it can fulfill the nature of human beings, it can fulfill the nature of things; if it can fulfill the nature of things, it can praise the cultivation of the world; it can praise the world
Through transformation and education, you can join in with heaven and earth!
This is the Confucian way.
The meaning of Tao is roughly explained above. If you don’t understand certain classical Chinese, there is no need to find a translator. To sum up, as long as you understand three points, it is enough:
First, Tao is a rare thing that many people pursue throughout their lives.
Second, no matter what occupation or type of work, there are many benefits after enlightenment.
Third, enlightenment is difficult, and people who can enlighten are very good.
That's it, as long as you can understand it.
Having said so much, there is still a key question that has not been resolved. Since the Tao is so good, how can we realize it?
Still divided according to profession, if you ask an enlightened monk, the answer you will get will be very interesting.
Regarding this question, monk Shouchu’s answer is: three pounds of hemp.
Zen Master Danxia’s answer is: burn the Buddha statues to keep warm.
Monk Qingfeng’s answer is: The God of Fire comes to ask for fire.
Monk Deshan’s answer is: Manjusri and Samantabhadra are dung-pickers. (Sin, sin, sin)
They are not talking nonsense. If you have enough understanding, you can understand the true meaning of "the meat and wine pass through the intestines, and the Buddha sits in the heart." The so-called "There is no Buddha in the eyes, but there is Buddha in the heart" is the essence of Buddhism.
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The only way for Buddhists to achieve enlightenment is also hidden in these seemingly absurd words. To put it simply, it is three words - rely on oneself.
They answer the question with all kinds of sensational words. They just want to tell you that enlightenment cannot be taught and cannot be taught. No one can help you except yourself.
However, the answers given by the eminent monks are not very operable and ordinary people cannot do it. It is difficult for us to be satisfied. Let’s look at the warriors again.
For those who practice martial arts, the answer to this question is simpler. If I throw you a sword, just practice it slowly. As for how long it takes to practice to reach the highest state of not having a sword in your hand but having a sword in your heart, don’t ask the master.
Don't ask yourself, only the devil knows.
After all, in a long martial arts novel with hundreds of thousands of words, there are usually only one or two top masters. If you, brother, have not mastered it, it is normal, so you must correct your mentality.
Now our expectations are pinned on the Confucian Zhu Shengren, hoping that there is the key to the road to sage.
Zhu Shengren has indeed lived up to expectations and pointed out a golden road for us in four words: studying things and seeking principles.
Okay, now we are finally back to the starting point and standing on the same starting line as Mr. Wang Shouren. So what is the magic of these four words and what do they mean?
Zhu Shengren was still very patient. He told us that although "reason" is difficult to realize, it is ubiquitous in everything in the world. The ox plowing the land at your home is reasonable, and the broken boxes in the backyard are reasonable.
, the few pounds of private money you hid by the bedside are also justified.
Reason is everywhere, and to understand it, you must "frame" it.
As for how to play, it doesn't matter to you, whether you are in a daze or taking action, you can play however you want. It's enough that Zhu Shengren doesn't charge you tuition, and can he help you conquer the world?
So when will "ge" be able to make sense?
Good question! Regarding this question, Cheng Yi, another great teacher of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties, gave a clear answer:
"Today I will examine one thing, and tomorrow I will examine another thing, and suddenly I will understand it, and finally I will understand the laws of nature."
You see, as long as you keep "gritting", "grid" attentively, concentrate on "grinding", and work overtime, you will "suddenly understand".
So when can we “suddenly understand”?
Sorry, the instructors have not mentioned this issue, and I don’t know either, but brother, just go for it with confidence and boldness. Please believe that when you “suddenly understand it”, you will be able to “suddenly understand it”.
Okay, this is the end of our philosophy class. The class discussed some basic concepts about Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties. I believe everyone can understand this way of telling it.
In fact, I don't want to talk about these things, but if I don't talk about it, it will be difficult for you to understand Wang Shouren's various weird behaviors later, and you will not be able to appreciate his unparalleled courage and wisdom throughout the ages.
The road of saints is a completely different road. It has a starting point, but it seems that the end can never be seen. It is mysterious, strange, and unfathomable. It is more difficult than the road of famous generals. On this road, there are no helpers, no
Mentor, you don’t know when you will succeed, you don’t know when you will fail, you don’t even know when you should give up.
However, the eighteen-year-old Wang Shouren embarked on this path without hesitation, and he finally succeeded, in that place, that night, and that moment recorded in history nineteen years later.