Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 7 Xu Jie's Awakening
Xu Jie
According to a rough calculation, Xu Jie should be considered a person who died three times. Of course, he did not die.
In October of the 16th year of Hongzhi (1503), Xu Jie was born in Xuanping, Zhejiang. Since his father was from Huating, Songjiang (now Shanghai), later generations of history books counted him as a Songjiang native.
Xu Jie has a happy family. His father is the local county magistrate (eighth grade). Although he is a junior official, it is an economically developed area after all, and it is not too difficult to make a living. Overall, his family is relatively wealthy.
, the comparative composition is roughly equivalent to that of small landowners.
Although his family was well off and he didn't have to go out to sell newspapers or roll briquettes on the streets, and he didn't have to worry about starving to death or freezing to death, Xu Jie was closer to death than anyone else.
His first death experience was when he was one year old. His family was holding Xu Jie by the dry well to enjoy the cool air. He accidentally fell. He didn't suffer much. He patted the dirt on his butt and stood up. After thinking about it, he felt something was wrong.
Something seemed to be missing from his hand. When he looked back, Xu Jie had fallen into the well.
This can be regarded as a lack of virtue. Although Xu Jie, who was free-falling, did not fall into the water, he still had an intimate contact with the hard ground at the bottom of the well.
I have always believed that committing suicide by jumping into a well is a more painful way to die, and it is far worse than drowning in a river. Just like in today's real estate market, if you want to die and you can't find a spacious place, it is better to commit suicide by jumping into a river. You can jump wherever you want.
No matter where you jump, you don’t have to worry about the landing area. At the end, you can enjoy the incomparable river view. You can look wherever you want, and no one can stop you.
Although the dry well would not kill anyone, it should be possible to maim him. After Xiao Xu Jie fell into the well, the whole family spent a long time to fish him out (without construction machinery). When Xu Jie saw the light of day again, brother Xu Jie
But he neither cried nor fussed - he fainted.
He was so dizzy that he couldn't wake up no matter how he tried to save him or give him decoction and medicine. This happened for several days. On the third day, the doctor told them to prepare a coffin quickly.
On the fourth day, Xu Jie woke up.
Xu Jie, keep growing, you will be closer to death next time.
In the second year of Zhengde (1507), Xu Jie went out on a journey with his father. His father walked in front and he followed closely behind. When passing a high mountain, Xu Jie accidentally had another accident. Of course, he did not fall into it.
Dry Well, relatively speaking, the place where he fell this time was quite special - a cliff.
When the father heard the noise and turned around, Xu Jie had already fallen off the cliff.
The father immediately burst into tears. There was still hope for the dry well. At the bottom of the cliff was the territory of the King of Hell. When recruiting people in the underworld, it is said that one can only accept them one by one.
After crying happily, he still had to go down below to collect the body. My father took a few helpers and went around to the bottom of the cliff. However, he looked around but could not find anyone alive or dead.
He couldn't fly anymore. The father raised his head and saw his son hanging on the tree.
From then on, Xu Jie's experience became a legend in the streets. Everyone believed that this person survived such a catastrophic disaster and must be blessed later in life.
This seems to be true. From then on, Xu Jie's life has entered a smooth road, but the biggest test in life is still waiting for him ahead. Only by withstanding this torture that is more painful than death can he grow up to endure humiliation and bear the burden and stand alone.
The backbone of the crisis.
The days after this were unremarkable. In the eighth year of Zhengde (1513), Xu Jie's father resigned from public office and returned to his hometown in Huating County. Here, Xu Jie received a good education. He was very smart and had a high level of understanding.
Four years later, he passed the scholar examination and entered the county school to become a student member.
In the 14th year of Zhengde (1519), 17-year-old Xu Jie went to Nanjing to take the provincial examination, but failed and had to go back home to continue preparing for the examination.
But this was not necessarily a bad thing for him, because the very next year, a man came to his hometown and completely changed Xu Jie's life.
In the fifteenth year of Zhengde (1520), a new scholar became the magistrate of Huating. His name was Nie Bao.
It should be said that Nie Bao was a competent county magistrate. Besides his official duties, he also had a hobby - chatting. Every day after get off work, he would go to the county school to discuss the classics and history with the scholars.
It was there that he met Xu Jie.
When Nie Bao talked with Xu Jie for the first time, he was surprised by the young man's superb understanding and witty words. He was keenly aware that this was a talent with unlimited future.
So, when the conversation ended and everyone dispersed, Nie Bao found Xu Jie privately and asked him a question: whether he was willing to study with him.
Xu Jie was not stupid, he knew what this meant, so he answered in the affirmative without hesitation.
From then on, Xu Jie became a disciple of Nie Bao and learned from him.
But Xu Jie did not expect that this seemingly ordinary county magistrate was not an ordinary person. What he was about to show Xu Jie was a mysterious and novel world.
Soon after, Xu Jie was surprised to find that what Nie Bao taught him was not the classics and history articles he usually talked about, let alone the eight-legged essay for exams, but a knowledge he had never heard of.
In Xu Jie's view, this is an extremely profound and mysterious knowledge that covers everything in the world. What's even more strange is that even the principles of applying the world and conducting one's life are the same as those of the saints he has studied before.
The words are completely different.
But he did not hesitate. In the next two years, he has been studying hard and seriously, day and night. Because his intuition told him that this unique teacher was teaching him a special kind of wisdom.
And will eventually become the most important wealth in his life.
In the first year of Jiajing (1522), Yingtian Mansion was about to hold the provincial examination. This year Xu Jie was twenty years old.
His admiration and adoration for Nie Bao has reached its peak. In the past two years, he has asked countless questions and received countless answers. He has mastered the essence of Nie Bao's teachings and understood this unique system, but
Two years later, there is still a question that makes him very curious, but he still has no answer.
So on the day he left home to take the exam, he asked Nie Bao, who was seeing him off, this final question:
"How do you know so much?"
Nie Bao smiled mysteriously:
"That was taught to me by another person. A few years ago, when I was studying in Jiangxi (Nie Bao was from Ji'an, Jiangxi), I met a person. What he said was very strange and I didn't take it seriously. At that time, I was young and energetic, and I was very close to him.
He argued repeatedly for several days and finally became convinced."
Nie Bao raised his head, walked out of his memories, looked at the young man who was about to embark on the journey of life, and gave the final answer:
"Although I had no apprenticeship at that time, I was taught by him. Everything I taught you was taught to me by him back then. Your future is uncertain now. I hope you will understand this knowledge with your heart, and it will be of great use.
.”
"This study is the so-called "mind study of conscience", and it was passed down to me as a scholar named Wang Shouren."
fatal test
Xu Jie firmly remembered the name Wang Shouren. He bid farewell to Nie Bao and opened the first page of his legendary life.
The provincial examination in Nanjing went very smoothly. Xu Jie answered the questions smoothly, handed in the papers in advance and left the examination room. He was very confident and determined that he would win the first place in one fell swoop.
But he never expected that just when he was full of confidence, his paper had been thrown into the pile of losers.
He was really unlucky. When the examiner at Yingtian Mansion saw his paper, he threw it to the ground as if he were an earthling seeing an alien: "What the hell is this!"
Just when Mr. Xu Jie was about to become a repeat student, God smiled at him again.
At this time, the examiner happened to walk in and saw this scene. He picked up the paper and looked at it carefully for a long time. Then he walked up to the marking officer and expressed his conclusion:
"It should be Jieyuan."
The so-called Jieyuan means first place. It took the stunned examiner a long time to react, but he still insisted on his opinion - failed.
The contrast between those who were admitted to Jie Yuan and those who failed were so great that the two sides argued fiercely. Finally, they reached a compromise and admitted Xu Jie without accepting Jie Yuan.
At that time, Xu Jie didn't know anything about all this and was completely kept in the dark. But it didn't matter. He had obtained further qualifications. A year later, he would see the real big scene and face the rulers of this empire.
.
In the second year of Jiajing (1523), Xu Jie went to Beijing and took part in the imperial examination. It seemed that the examiners in the capital were really good. His articles were not criticized again. Although he did not get the Huiyuan, he successfully passed the palace examination.
Xu Jie's psychological quality was not bad. He didn't panic when he met the big boss and completed his answers calmly. After the imperial examination, the cabinet ministers read the answer sheet and saw his article. They were extremely surprised and admired, thinking that this subject
The number one scholar must be him.
At this moment, another person walked into the examination room, just like the provincial examination, he also found Xu Jie's examination paper.
This man's name was Lin Jun, who was the Minister of the Ministry of Justice at the time. He was passing by for a walk, so he stopped in to take a look. He picked up the paper and read it carefully for a while, and blurted out his comment:
"Great article! It should be ranked first!"
There's trouble this time.
It should be said that this Lord Shangshu gave a good evaluation, but the problem is that it really is not his place to say this.
It's embarrassing to say that although this dear man loves talents and is also a senior cadre, he has one shortcoming - he is not popular. The then cabinet minister Fei Hong and others had deep conflicts with him, and they usually disliked him. But now
He suddenly said this and made an inference - the author of this article has an ulterior relationship with him.
With Lord Tuolin's shout, Xu Jie, who was originally expected to be the top scholar, became Xu Jie, the top scholar.
The first prize was changed to the third prize, but it was okay. Let's be unjust. But the leader's eyes are sharp after all. When Xu Jie was named on the gold list, went to the court to meet the examiner, and paid homage to the dock, his talents were revealed.
Finally got the affirmation.
There, Xu Jie met Yang Tinghe, the number one figure in the court.
When this 21-year-old young man appeared in front of this top official, Yang Tinghe immediately made a judgment:
"This young man will definitely not be inferior to us in his future fame!"
Fei Hong, who avenged his personal vendetta, was also criticized by his leaders:
"How do you do things? Why didn't you rate him as number one?!"
I admire, I admire, Mr. Yang Tinghe really hasn’t been in vain for so many years.
Now that he is prosperous, Xu Jie's prospects are bright, brighter than a bright light. His leaders appreciate him. As the third best person in the country in the college entrance examination, the Hanlin Academy opens its doors to him, and a road opens at his feet. A common man - promoted.
——Entering the cabinet, glory and wealth are waiting for him.
With extreme joy, Xu Jie returned to his hometown in fine clothes. His father was extremely excited. He had only been a top-level county office director (county prime minister) in his life, but his son was so promising and made a lot of money in his life. His mother, Mrs. Gu
I also had runny nose and tears, and I couldn't even speak.
While they were busy shedding tears of excitement, an unexpected visitor quietly came to the door.
This person is Nie Bao. Not long ago, he just learned that he would leave here soon and go to Fujian to serve as a censor. At the moment when he was about to leave, he found Xu Jie.
In the past days, just like that man back then, he selflessly taught all he had learned in his life to this young man named Xu Jie, but he knew very well that although this student was extremely smart, he still failed to understand that
The most important and crucial point.
When he entered the lobby and saw the young man who was carried away by excessive joy, he immediately realized that the time had come to reveal the secret.
"I'm about to leave here. Please take care of yourself."
The smile on Xu Jie's face turned into astonishment, and he opened his mouth wide, as if he wanted to say something.
Nie Bao smiled and waved his hand:
"Your future prospects are limitless. I don't have any gifts to give you, so I'll just teach you one last lesson."
"You already know all the essentials of the study of mind, but the essence of it is only the four words of 'unity of knowledge and action'. If you understand it thoroughly, you can cultivate yourself, your family, and your country."
Nie Bao paused for a moment, looked at Xu Jie who was holding his breath and listened, and continued:
"You are talented and smart, and you will become a great person in the future. However, the officialdom is dangerous and your career is bumpy. I hope you will take good care of yourself. If you encounter difficulties, remember these four words of mantra and understand them with your heart, and you will be able to turn the crisis into peace."
"Even if you are in a desperate situation in the future, you still need to persevere and never give up. Remember!"
Xu Jie stood aside, bowed to the teacher solemnly, and replied in a deep voice:
"Students understand."
However, Nie Bao's reaction was far beyond his expectation.
"No, you don't understand," Nie Bao smiled mysteriously
, "At least not yet."
In the third year of Jiajing (1524), with full joy and a little doubt, Xu Jie said goodbye to Nie Bao and went to the capital to take up his post.
As an outstanding talent in the empire, he entered the Hanlin Academy and became a seventh-grade editor. Although this place did not have the prestige and power of local officials, it was the center of everyone's attention, because once he entered here, half of his feet were already on the ground.
Entered the cabinet.
At this time, Xu Jie was a successful young man with a bright future. He had just got married and married a beautiful wife. The so-called bridal night and the time when the gold medal was named, all the good things happened to him alone. However, Xu Jie, who had reached the pinnacle of his life, was in trouble.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched the handle of the door to happiness, he was about to slip into the abyss of pain.
In August of the third year of Jiajing (1524), Xu Jie, who had just entered the Hanlin Academy, received the unfortunate news that his father had passed away before he could even sit down.
Xu Jie was a filial son. He was extremely sad and reported his father's death. Without saying a word, he packed up his backpack and returned home. He stayed at home to observe mourning for three years.
When he first arrived at work, he didn't get to know his boss well, and he didn't have a good relationship with his colleagues, so he went home and stayed there for three years. It was really a bad year, but Xu Jie didn't know that all this was just a warm-up exercise, leading to a fatal disaster.
It's about to hit him.
In the sixth year of Jiajing (1527), Xu Jie returned to Beijing, resumed his official position, and began to work as a clerk in the Hanlin Academy, copying and writing all day long, and studying central documents.
After three years of ordinary life, trouble came, starting when he saw Zhang Cong's memorial.
We have already talked about what happened next. Zhang Cong wanted to persecute Kong Laoer, but Xu Jie objected, so Zhang Cong wanted to persecute Xu Jie, and finally Xu Jie got out.
It seems very simple, but in fact it is not.
When Xu Jie mustered up the courage to refute Zhang Cong, he didn't care much. The worst case scenario was dismissal from office. What can you do to me? Can you kill me?
That's right, I'll kill you.
Because Xu Jie scolded too vigorously, several censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate also joined in the fun and cursed, which angered Zhang Cong again. Now Xu Jie was miserable. Mr. Zhang lacked the same broad-mindedness as the sea.
At best, it was only as wide as a sewer. He immediately stated that he would kill Xu Jie who was taking the lead.
The naive Xu Jie never expected that he would lose his head if he expressed his personal opinions or contradicted the leader. However, when things got to this point, it would be a knife to raise his head or shrink his head. He simply gave up and died as a coward!
He was not afraid and said directly: If you want to kill, kill him, I am not afraid!
But Xu Jie, who ignored life and death, did not expect that there would be a more tragic fate waiting for him, because in this world, death is never the most cruel punishment.
Just as he was sitting quietly waiting for punishment, another bad news came. His wife suddenly died of illness, leaving only a two-year-old child.
Xu Jie was extremely sad. His wife passed away after only six years of marriage. But what made him even more miserable was that he was unable to even handle his wife's funeral. Because he had offended Mr. Zhang, he could not move around and had to stay alone.
Wait where you are for processing.
In fact, in the eyes of many people at that time, Xu Jie was already certain to die, because according to roadside news reports, the Metropolitan Procuratorate had let the wind out, and Du Censor Wang was instructed by Zhang Cong to convict Xu Jie of death.
Xu Jie finally failed to escape the third trick of death. In fact, beheading is nothing. Once his eyes are closed and his heart is broken, according to traditional saying, it will be treated as multiple bowl-sized scars (although it cannot be cured). But the most frustrating thing is that
What is unbearable is locking you up without killing you first, hanging you for fun, and making you feel that every day may be the last day of your life.
This is the kind of pain Xu Jie endures. He is shrouded in the shadow of death every day, and someone may break in at any time to announce his death. But in addition to the fear of death, he also has a deeper pain - the death of his wife and son.
Young, and the situation at home really corresponds to the old saying - there is a seventy-year-old mother on top, and a nursing child on the bottom.
As the saying goes, after twenty years of hard work, we returned to pre-liberation overnight. It took twenty years to build a great future and a happy family. Now, the future is ruined and the family is ruined, but it only took more than ten days.
Sometimes, there is only one step from heaven to hell.
What happened suddenly is enough to drive people crazy, and I believe it would be unbearable for any human being.
But the most painful thing about life is that you still have to endure it even though it is already unbearable.
When the capital prosecutor's internal verdict reached Xu Jie's ears, he finally couldn't bear it anymore under the pressure, so he cheered up and decided to endure it all over again.
What can I do if I can’t bear it?
Xu Jie began to prepare for his funeral. He called his good friend Shen Kai, handed him some silver coins, and only entrusted him with two things:
"Please bury my wife and take my children back to my hometown in Huating and give them to my mother."
Shen Kai nodded seriously and accepted his commission.
Xu Jie was relieved after receiving the promise, and he said loudly:
"If you die, just die. Now I have nothing to worry about! Please tell Bachelor Zhang (that is, Zhang Cong, then the Grand Bachelor of Jinshen Palace) for me that I have done this alone and have no regrets!"
God has always been very humorous, but Xu Jie, who wanted to die, could not die. The execution opinion of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was sent to the Ministry of Punishment. It happened that several bureau-level cadres of the Ministry of Punishment were fellow countrymen and friends of Xu Jie, so they decided to take this matter I suppressed him and helped him move around. Finally, the big problem was reduced to a trivial matter and the trivial matter disappeared.
Of course, Zhang Cong will not give up. Since he can't kill you, he will destroy your future. From now on, you will never have to go back to the Hanlin Academy to work, let alone think about the ministers and cabinet. Just go to Fujian.
What's even more abominable is that Zhang Xueshi made a fierce complaint in front of the emperor, which made Jiajing extremely excited. He even had eight characters carved on the pillar - Xu Jie villain, never tell. Yes, it seems that he was afraid that his memory was not good, so he forgot about it (it turned out later that his memory was indeed bad).
Well, with these eight-character comments, Xu Jie's future ends here.
But he didn't say much. He packed his luggage and got ready to hit the road. Before leaving for his post, he had to go back to Huating to say goodbye to his mother at home.
Xu Jie was not even afraid of beheading, nor was he afraid of being dismissed from office. However, he always felt guilty towards his mother who had worked so hard to raise him. His glory and wealth had been wasted, so how could he see his mother? How could he repay her?
But when he saw his mother, he realized that he was wrong.
After his mother, Mrs. Gu, listened to him tell all the story, she smiled happily:
"You were demoted because you were brave enough to speak out. This is my honor!"
Then she stood up and went to prepare the luggage for her son who looked surprised.
After all, I am not alone! Xu Jie smiled. He finally made up his mind.
Let’s go to Fujian! There is no perfect way in the world!
Xu Jie is lucky, because based on previous experience, if God wants you to endure hardship, there will definitely be benefits for you, and this time is no exception. As usual, God has already prepared a precious gift, waiting for Xu Jie Go and get it.
Of course, before that, he would not stop until he tormented Xu Jie to death, because God, his old man's habit would never change - receive the goods first, then pay.
secret, awakening
Is it a good position to be a promotion officer in Yanping Prefecture, Fujian?
The answer is no. Yanping is located in northern Fujian and is mostly in mountainous areas. The magistrate there cannot even sit in a sedan chair and often has to ride on horseback. The official position is even more difficult because it specializes in judicial and various criminal cases.
It is said that unruly people come out of poor places. Unfortunately, Yanping fully meets this condition. Therefore, major and important cases occur frequently here, and most of the subordinate officials in the judicial system are locals. It is also very difficult to harbor favoritism. From this point of view, Zhang Cong back then There was a lot of careful consideration when assigning him.
So, when Xu Jie, a short Shanghai native, appeared in front of the local subordinates, the people who were accustomed to being local smugs were almost sure at the same time: This man will get out soon.
Overall, the grammar and authenticity of this sentence are correct, but the subject is not directed at Xu Jie, but themselves.
The first thing Xu Jie did after taking office was to deal with the backlog of cases. Thanks to his subordinates, Yanping Mansion's judicial achievements in recent years have been very outstanding. Cases piled up but they were never dealt with. The prison has become the most suitable place to live in Yanping.
The old prisoners were not dealt with, and new prisoners were brought in, and the momentum grew stronger and stronger.
There was no time limit for detention back then. You could be detained for as long as you were told. There was no way to do it. If you delayed it for three to five years, you would be sentenced to one or two years. After the trial, you would count on your fingers and you would be released in court.
Common thing.
So Xu Jie told his subordinates to work overtime to review the case starting tomorrow.
The subordinates responded very enthusiastically and expressed their determination to help the leaders do a good job. Xu Jie was very happy.
The next day, all the officials reported on time. However, Xu Jie was surprised to find that although these people were sitting in the office, they were just working hard and did not work hard. They had no effect at all.
Xu Jie finally understood that the group of seemingly friendly subordinates in front of him, who greeted each other with smiles and cheers all day long, secretly engaged in non-violent non-cooperation and pushed back and forth, actually only had one purpose - to drive him away.
Xu Jie was angry. He sternly reprimanded several officials who were slacking off in their work, but he did not expect that these people were even more tempered than him. They talked a few words against him on the spot, and then simply stopped coming.
I've thrown this mess at you, it's up to you to deal with it alone!
Xu Jie clenched his fists. He knew that he couldn't count on these people, but the problem was before him, what should he do alone?
In fact, many things can be done by one person, as long as you are determined enough.
Xu Jie opened the dusty files and began to review and sort out the cases one by one. In this strange place, he had no assistants or friends, and worked hard under a solitary lamp. After more than a month of hard work, he finally completed this seemingly
An impossible task.
Those who deserved to be sentenced were sentenced, those who deserved to be released were released, and all the ancient injustices and heinous crimes were dealt with. For the first time, the world was completely peaceful.
The local gangsters were shocked. They didn't expect that this fair-looking foreigner could be so tough. But what they didn't expect was that this was not the end of the matter.
Not long after, Xu Jie suddenly ordered the arrest of several officials of the Fasi Yamen - the leaders of the non-violent non-cooperation actions, on charges of corruption and bribery. With their bad background, such evidence is not difficult to find.
.So people are being diverted and people are being laid off.
From then on, no one dared to go against Xu Jie, because they had realized that the body of this frail scholar contained extremely terrifying power.
In many records, this story is often quoted to illustrate Xu Jie's good work attitude and reflect his ideological realm of serving the people wholeheartedly, etc.
In fact, things are not that simple.
Beneath this halo, there is another side of Xu Jie's character - he hides first and then reveals himself. As the saying goes, it is also called settling accounts after autumn, or it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years.
And those thrilling events twenty years later also clearly tell us that in the heart of this gentle scholar, there is always such a life creed - revenge must be retaliated.
Soon after, Xu Jie's reputation spread throughout Yanping following this incident. There were many people who liked him and many who hated him. Several people who were laid off by him even approached the local underworld and threatened to kill him.
Give him some blood.
So someone came to him and told him bluntly, you are no longer a capital official, just make some extra money in this small place and just go around, why do you have to be so serious?
Xu Jie’s answer is this:
"Although I am a small official, I still have responsibilities, and I dare not slack off for a day. Even though this place is remote, I can still work hard to manage it!"
Well said, well said, but Mr. Xu Jie, who is working hard, you will soon encounter a real trouble, and this trouble cannot be solved by you.
The thing is, although the Yanping area is poor, it still has a natural advantage - the production of minerals. The thing produced by this mine is also quite special - silver.
At that time, the status of silver mines was roughly equivalent to today's money printing factories. As long as it could be dug out, it could be used without worrying about inflation.
Yanping is a place with fierce folk customs. The so-called fierce folk customs, in layman's terms, means not studying, daring to make trouble, relying on mountains and mountains, and relying on water to feed water.
As a result, small silver kilns without approval from the production safety department opened one after another in various places, digging holes everywhere, and colluding with local underworld to dominate one area and prey on the common people.
Xu Jie, who had just settled the unjust case, was in high spirits. He was ready to show off his skills again and completely deal with these scumbags who harmed the people. But something unexpected happened to him. Although he had three orders
After five applications and repeated inspections, the situation has not improved at all. The officials are still drinking tea and chatting, and the bullies are still stealing money.
Xu Jie was not a naive person. He knew very well that the reason why the officials adopted such an attitude was because they must have a share of the stolen silver.
The officials and gangsters colluded, and no one was willing to carry out his orders. This time, Xu Jie was really at his wits end. He could read the documents and try the cases by himself, but it was a joke to ask him to carry a steel knife and go deep into the tiger's den to suppress the bandits.
It's too wide open.
Initially, in Xu Jie's view, this was just a security case that he had to solve, but he did not expect that the handling of this matter would become a turning point in his life.
Time passed day by day, but things made no progress. As he waited day by day, Xu Jie began to become confused.
Even when he was scolded by Zhang Cong and reprimanded by the emperor, Xu Jie was never afraid, because he always believed that what he did was right and defensible, but now he seemed to have a guilty conscience.
For more than 20 years, although he has gone through many trials and hardships, Xu Jie has always been a very confident person. He believes in the Four Books and Five Classics he has learned, the words of sages he has heard, and the names of famous officials and ministers in history.
His immortal achievements have always been an example for him to learn from. Xu Jie once firmly believed that as long as he abides by the teachings of the saints and follows etiquette, justice and integrity, he will be able to cultivate his moral integrity, manage his family, and govern the country and the world.
But now something went wrong, Xu Jie was surprised to find that being vigorous and upright had lost its effect in reality, at least in this matter now, it had no effect at all.
However, his subordinates did not have the same moral consciousness, nor did they intend to cultivate similar moral character. They ignored Xu Jie's painstaking efforts and just stood aside and watched with cold eyes, waiting for Xu Jie to leave, and then continued to reap their benefits.
.
Xu Jie couldn't figure it out. He was aggrieved and angry. How could the world be like this?
It is not the peaceful and prosperous age recorded in the book, nor is it a paradise where people are kind. This is an ugly world where all people care most about their own interests.
The so-called sacrificing one's life for righteousness, the so-called caring for the world, in the minds of his greedy subordinates, they all boil down to two words - fart.
Desperation filled Xu Jie's heart. He suddenly discovered that the saint's way and principles he had believed in for more than 20 years turned out to be useless. Even a few traitors and bullies in Yanping Prefecture, Fujian Province could not solve the problem of governing the world.
, leave a name in history? What a joke!
Xu Jie finally encountered the biggest crisis in his life - the crisis of faith. What he had learned for many years was useless. What else in the world could he believe in? Can he persevere?!
However, he did not give up in the end because he still had a second option - the study of conscience and the unity of knowledge and action.
A good friend of mine who graduated from the philosophy department once said to me: There should not be an undergraduate major in philosophy in universities because students don’t understand it.
This is a wise saying. As the most profound wisdom in the world, philosophy is the crystallization of countless geniuses’ lifelong thinking and life. They suffered many losses and suffered many hardships before finally condensing it into a few words in books.
A twenty-year-old young man will not understand this. They are too naive and naive. They may be able to get a hundred points in the exam, but they cannot truly understand the meaning. Therefore, although they hold the truth, they cannot
He used it and entered the society with enthusiasm, but was beaten to death.
Xu Jie is roughly such a person. He doesn't understand either. Although he understands all the contents of Xinxue, he doesn't know how to do it. As for the four words Nie Bao told him six years ago, it makes no sense.
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What is the unity of knowledge and action? Answer: It is the unity of knowledge and action. Comment: Nonsense.
Xu Jie thought about these four words repeatedly, but still couldn't figure it out. Nie Bao's solemn and solemn expression when he spoke still appeared in front of his eyes. He was sure that this gentleman was not making fun of him.
But the problem is that he can't see the function of these four words. Could it be that by chanting it like a mantra, the mining tyrants will escape and the officials will do things honestly? The so-called science of conscience, the so-called light
What is the use of learning in this real world?
In the vast darkness, where can I find the light?
Xu Jie was puzzled and fell silent. Amidst the cold looks and cynicism of the officials, he began to think for a long time.
In painful thinking, he finally discovered that he might have made a fundamental mistake. There was a big problem with the beliefs and principles he had adhered to for more than 20 years. This traditional moral system might be right, but it was useless.
.What really determines the behavior of most people is another thing.
As long as he finds such a thing, all problems can be solved. So Xu Jie decided to deny all his past, overthrow everything, and start over to find such a thing.
Preaching is useless, propriety, justice, integrity, and loyalty are useless. It has no effect except making people sleepy.
After stripping away all the disguises of this ugly world, Xu Jie finally found the final answer - profit.
The absolute morality of having the world in mind and sacrificing one's life for righteousness does exist. Unfortunately, this thing is too advanced and the price paid is too high. From ancient times to the present, except for a few advanced elements, most people are unwilling to consume it.
Interest, and only sufficient interest, can have the magic power to drive people. This is the true face of this world, extremely cruel, but extremely real.
In the face of this cruel reality, Xu Jie finally understood the true meaning of the unity of knowledge and action. No matter how great and upright the ideal is, to realize it, one must understand two words - flexibility. Only flexibility and only practical actions can achieve success.
Adapt to this ever-changing world.
So on the day he woke up, Xu Jie abandoned the words and ideas he had believed in for decades, and made an unprecedented decision in the face of the unscrupulous corrupt mining officials.
Soon after, Xu Jie's followers were surprised to find that almost overnight, the local underworld that occupied the silver mines suddenly retired from the world and returned home honestly.
In a mixture of confusion and excitement, they informed Xu Jie of the good news. However, to their surprise, Xu Jie was not surprised or happy at all, as if he had expected this.
And this is indeed the case.
A few days ago, Xu Jie led a few cronies to the location of the silver mine. Instead of going to the government office there, he found another group of people - the local chief.
Of course, these so-called village chiefs are not good people, and they naturally share in the benefits of stealing mines. Just when they didn't know the purpose of this gentleman's visit and were panicking, Xu Jie showed his trump card: eradicate those mining tyrants, and I will give them to them.
Your greater good.
So everything was solved, and these people who had been untouchable in the past suddenly became full of vitality. They immediately mobilized, mobilized every household in every village, and arrested those involved in stealing the mines overnight without delay.
Under the influence of Xu Jie's policies, villages across the country followed suit one after another, and an upsurge in cracking down on mining pirates arose. Facing this special mass movement, local officials were dumbfounded and at a loss what to do. The mining pirates could not continue their work, so they had to leave and endanger the local area.
The troubles of more than ten years have been lifted.
Xu Jie finally succeeded. He did not stick to the so-called absolute morality and defeated interests with interests. But when he told all the inside story frankly, one of his followers was very disapproving and got angry, accusing Xu Jie of handling the situation.
Be cunning and make compromises.
"Yes, this is a compromise," Xu Jie replied calmly, "but I won."
After going through arduous experiences, Xu Jie finally knew the rules of survival in this world, and also thoroughly understood the meaning of Xinxue and the secret left to him by Nie Bao.
"The unity of knowledge and action, I think I have understood it." Xu Jie looked at the direction he came from and gave this confident answer.
In the thirteenth year of Jiajing (1534), Xu Jie finally made his mark. Because of his outstanding political performance, he was promoted to be the magistrate of Huguang Huangzhou (now Huanggang, Hubei Province). However, luck could not stop him and he had not had time to take up the post.
, he received another news - he was promoted again and was transferred to Zhejiang Academic Affairs.
After working in education in Zhejiang for three years, Xu Jie ushered in a second turning point in his life. This time, he was appointed deputy inspector of Jiangxi Province.
As a senior official in Jiangxi, Xu Jie no longer has to climb ravines every day and look through files late at night.
But trouble still found its way to his door.
One day, the guard of his house suddenly came to report that a man wanted to see him. Xu Jie thought he had some grievance, so he agreed.
But after this man came in, he neither cried nor made a fuss, but bluntly expressed to Xu Jie that he was active and willing to work hard and wanted to make progress. In layman's terms, he wanted to be promoted.
Xu Jie smiled. He had never seen such a baffling person. If you say promotion, you should be promoted? Why? But soon he stopped laughing because the man who came to the door told him the reason why he was so confident.
:
I am a relative of Xia Shoufu.
This is indeed a very reasonable reason and very normal. If Xia Yan's relatives are promoted, Xia Yan will naturally promote himself. The transaction is fair and in line with the laws of the market. Xu Jie, who has learned to be flexible, seems to have no reason to refuse.
However, he refused, and after leaving a few words, he kicked the man out of the house.
"I am here as an official to control you (you and Cao belong to me), not to abuse my power and seek promotion!"
This dear friend left in disgrace, and naturally refused to give up. He immediately wrote to Xia Yan to scold Xu Jie, and even threatened to make Xu Jie look good to him.
Xu Jie heard the news, but he didn't take it seriously at all. He ignored it and pretended he didn't hear it.
This is a meaningful event. Xu Jie, who has experienced hardships and knows how to adapt, has become a person familiar with the rules of officialdom. He knows very well what pleasing Xia Yan can bring to him, but he firmly refused.
A long time ago, Xu Jie decided to be an upright person, help the country, and be loyal to the country. Many years have passed, and he has suffered countless blows and experienced a lot of pain, but he has never betrayed his original intention.
Facts have proved that he has always been a principled person and a great person.
In the eighteenth year of Jiajing (1539), Xu Jie, who insisted on principles, met Xia Yan, who insisted on principles, so he once again got the opportunity to change his destiny. After eight years of experience outside, he was about to embark on the road back to Beijing.
Generally speaking, large-scale construction projects are the only way for officials to get rich with kickbacks. Therefore, whenever there are projects such as repairing rivers and building granaries, officials at all levels are eager to try them. Xu Jie is probably the only exception.
But when he was about to leave, he unexpectedly made a similar request - to build an ancestral hall.
Ancestral halls are usually used to commemorate someone, but what surprised the officials in charge was that the person Xu Jie wanted to commemorate was neither his friend nor his relative. In fact, he had never met this person at all.
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"This person is my teacher." Xu Jie answered other people's questions.
So on the day when Wang Shouren's ancestral hall was built, Xu Jie visited in person. Under everyone's surprised eyes, he straightened his clothes and knelt down to salute this great ancestor:
"I once studied your teachings with Mr. Wen Wei (Nie Bao's nickname: Wen Wei), and it took ten years of hard work before I finally understood it. Although we have not met each other, I am actually a disciple again. I can't repay the teacher's kindness, but I can only keep in mind the knowledge of conscience.
, Serve the country and benefit the people, uphold the right path, and never forget it until death!"
After bidding farewell to this mentor whom he had never met before, Xu Jie embarked on the road back to Beijing.
After nearly ten years of hard work and experience, the young Hanlin, who was inexperienced in world affairs, has turned into a scheming and cunning officialdom veteran.
But this was not Xu Jie's only gain. More importantly, he finally understood the true meaning of the so-called light science.
After experiencing the struggle, ups and downs in the darkness, the naive and naive Xu Jie finally returned to the real world - a society with ugly reality, but what is intriguing is that the peculiar psychology of pursuing light was born in this dark world. , stubbornly shining its own light. The founder, Mr. Wang Shouren, went through ups and downs in his life, but died with a bright heart.
Because naive idealists are still weak even though they are persistent and stubborn. They do not understand that in this world, there are many things that you may not understand, but you must accept them.
Only those who truly understand the ugliness and filth of this world, who are struck by reality, tortured by pain, bruised and bruised, but never give up the pursuit of light, and still smile and move forward firmly, are the real brave people.
Those who have not experienced darkness cannot understand light.
Just live with the darkness on your back, Xu Jie, stick to it, and you will find the light.