The Qin Dynasty flourished, and Gu Yanwu taught it in Beijing. He had thousands of disciples, hundreds of houses, and more than a thousand acres of land donated to the school.
Shuntian Prefecture even offered to open a school for Gu Yanwu, but he refused, saying that he was unwilling to follow the old example of Donglin.
To put it bluntly, I just don’t want to create more party strife and ruin the future of this discipline.
At the local level, Zheng Sen was in Luzon Prefecture, Huang Zongxi was in Zhao State, Wang Fuzhi was in Beihai, Zhu Zhiyu was in Yuyao, Zhejiang, Fang Yizhi was in Zhejiang, Li Ti was in Shaanxi, and Sun Qifeng in Rongcheng, Zhili, etc., each promoted Qin studies.
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But in the final analysis, its main idea is to apply the truth to the world, oppose empty talk, advocate both agriculture and business, levy extensive commercial taxes, and the people value the king over the king. It can be said that it is the opposite of the Donglin Party.
But everyone has different thoughts on the details. Zheng Sen asked to pay attention to sea trade and reduce tariffs; Fang Yizhi asked to pay attention to geometry and use it in Western learning; Huang Zongxi emphasized reading history and putting people first; Sun Qifeng asked to be cautious and study things.
The combination of knowledge and conscience.
Although it is divided into various factions, the development and growth of Qin Xue is needless to say.
It can be said that most scholars believe that the replacement of Neo-Confucianism by Qin Studies is just like the replacement of Neo-Confucianism by Neo-Confucianism, which is a matter of course.
Because as Gu Yanwu said, Qin Xue was originally born from Neo-Confucianism, and most of the ideas were just sublimated and refined, with some psychological content added.
The most critical step is official recognition, that is, imperial examination recognition.
This step was extremely difficult, and Gu Yanwu even felt that he might not be able to see it again in his lifetime.
Not long after Zhu Zhiyu sat down, someone suddenly came over slowly.
"Ahem! Chu Yu, why are you here?"
Zhu Zhiyu raised his eyes and immediately stood up in surprise, bowing with both hands: "Mr. Xia Feng, why are you here?"
"Hahaha, I'm from Zhili. What's the point of coming to Beijing?"
Sun Qifeng laughed heartily, and then sat down without restraint.
Sun Qifeng was originally a Jinshi, but because he opposed eunuchs, he taught in the countryside and lived in a cottage.
After the fall of the Ming Dynasty in the 17th year of Chongzhen (1644), because his hometown was occupied by the Qing army, Sun Qifeng moved his family south to Huixian County, Henan Province.
Xiafeng Village is located at the foot of Sumen Mountain in Huixian County, close to famous springs, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and a remote and quiet place. Therefore, Sun Qifeng lived in Xiafeng in seclusion since then.
During this period, the Qing court repeatedly sought imperial edicts, and even offered him the position of imperial wine sacrificer, but he was rejected all times. People at that time respectfully called him "Zhengjun".
It takes Lu Xiangshan and Wang Yangming as its foundation, takes caution as its purpose, takes understanding and understanding of heaven as its top priority, and takes daily ethics as its reality.
Therefore, he is strict and severe in self-cultivation.
In terms of thought, he combined "Tao Wen Xue" and "Respecting Virtue" into one, and finally summed up the idea of "practicing" and "taking note of the world".
He believes that scholars should not be empty talkers, but should pay attention to practice and practical application.
In this way, in the north, Sun Qifeng and Gu Yanwu are both called "Sun Gu", and they are also called the two northern peaks, which are difficult to cross.
Even Zhu Zhiyu, who together with Gu Yanwu was known as Northern Gu Nanzhu, did not dare to be presumptuous.
"Today I was visiting friends and I met Zhu Xiaoyou, which was very nice."
Sun Qifeng has a gray beard, but he is in good spirits and looks like he can live for another ten years.
Zhu Zhiyu smiled bitterly and said, "If I knew Mr. Sun was here, how could I dare to be so presumptuous?"
Several people looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.
Qin Xue Dachang is of great benefit to several of them.
Make meritorious deeds, establish words, and establish virtue.
It’s hard to say what meritorious service has been done. Some people feel that it is not a great achievement. Virtue is in the eyes of the beholder, but it is possible to make meritorious deeds.
Once Qin Xue becomes an official school, then a few people will be the diligent masters of the sect, and their words, deeds and books will become part of the official school.
In this way, it will be just around the corner for it to be passed down through the ages like Zhu Zi.
This is the lifelong pursuit of Confucianism, and no one can escape it.
When it came to Qin Xue, Sun Qifeng had something to say. He stroked his long beard and said:
"Nowadays, scholars regard Donglin as evil, so they do a lot of introspection, which has led to a discipline."
"Exegesis."
"Exegesis?" Gu Yanwu and Zhu Zhiyu were stunned.
The so-called "exegesis" is also called "execution", "gu exegesis", "ancient exegesis", "jiegu", "exegesis". Explaining the meaning of words in popular language is called "execution"; explaining ancient language in contemporary terms is called "explanation".
"Exegesis".
The plain explanation is to study the word meaning, grammar, rhetoric, etc. in ancient books before the Han and Wei dynasties.
Its characteristic is to praise the past and belittle the present.
Whether it is articles or poems, the more ancient the better.
"The rise of exegetical studies can only be attributed to the great prosperity of our Qin studies. Some people are not happy with it, so they use the Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty as the purpose in an attempt to refute my studies."
Sun Qifeng shook his head and said: "It seems that after imitating the learning of the two Han Dynasties, our Ming Dynasty will be greatly prosperous, so we will defeat our Qin learning."
"It's just that the party agrees and opposes the differences." Gu Yanwu said without fear: "When the Xinxue emerged, the great Confucian scholars from the court to the localities all refuted and resisted it, but the Xinxue continued to flourish until today."
"Zhang Jiangling back then was also a successor to the philosophy of mind. Thought is something that cannot be blocked."
Zhu Zhiyu even said without hesitation: "Mr. Sun, the two of us just said that the prosperity of Qin learning lies at the top, not at the bottom."
"With the support of the imperial court and the emperor, no matter how stubborn the great scholars below are, it will not help."
Sun Qifeng suddenly realized.
Luzon, Zhenhaicheng.
Zheng Sen stood at the top of the city, facing the sea breeze and looking up.
The port not far away is lined with white sails, and a large number of ships are moored at the dock, unloading a large amount of cargo and taking away Luzon's specialties.
Tens of thousands of people are busy working on this port.
However, at the port, a three-story building is extremely conspicuous. The four characters "Customs Yamen" can be seen when looking up. It seems to be a stone sign, suppressing everything on the dock.
Pedestrians passing by walked quickly with fear on their faces.
Zheng Sen knew in his heart that although gold and silver flowed through this port, Luzon could only eat some scraps, and most of them were swallowed up by the customs office.
Luzon's spices, sugar cane, cotton, cinchona, noble wood, and minerals are almost used as wedding dresses for the customs.
But there is no way. The customs office is the emperor's private office and is the source of internal funds. If he cuts off the income from the customs, then tomorrow the emperor will cut off his future.
After exhaling, Zheng Sen fell into thinking: "I have been in Luzon for two years. In addition to knowing some customs of the Western Yi, I can only change my native land and return to my hometown."
"If I stay here any longer, I'm afraid it won't be effective. It's time to return to the capital. I can't wait for five years."
The governor of Luzon was elected for a five-year term, enjoying the sea breeze and enjoying high benefits, but these were not what he wanted. Without merit, it was unattractive to him.
"It is better to go back to Beijing, even if it is just Xiao Jiuqing, than to waste time in Luzon."
"Governor!" At this time, a black-haired Xiyi man wearing an official robe made of tulle said respectfully: "The college is about to start."
"Yeah!" Zheng Sen turned a blind eye to his appearance.
In Luzon, the Xiyi people accounted for nearly 10% of the total population, had a large amount of land, were active in paying taxes, and actively participated in the imperial examinations.
Whether it's language, customs, or clothing, they all continue to trend toward the Ming Dynasty.
For them, Zheng Sen treated them as naturalized barbarians, impartially, and he was used to it.
Nowadays, in the Luzon Governor's Mansion, Xiyi people account for 30% of the total number of officials, cooperating with the rule of the Governor's Mansion.
After getting into the carriage, Zheng Sen closed his eyes and rested his mind.
Due to the humidity and heat in Luzon, both clothing and food and drink were improved, and carriages were no exception.
The narrow and stuffy carriage became ventilated and cool. Sitting on it, the sun was not exposed to the sun, but the wind was flowing through, which can be said to be comfortable.
After a while, the carriage came to the north of the city.
A college covering an area of about twenty acres appeared in front of us.
Only then did Zheng Sen become more interested.
He naturally agrees with Qin Xue, and at the same time, in order to distance himself from the relationship with the Donglin School, he has always strongly supported Qin Xue.
Because he knew that it was enough for the emperor to support Qin Xue.
There were only three or five scholars among the scholars, all in their twenties and energetic. They all had promising career prospects, so they were not in the officialdom and did not take part in the provincial examinations.
The rest are all young boys and some scholarly boys.
All the people put together only have about 200 numbers.
As soon as the governor arrived, everyone immediately bowed to greet him.
Zheng Sen got used to it, said a few words, and then wrote the plaque himself:
Luzon College.
For a time, the atmosphere was warm.
Although this is not an official school, it was built with reasonable support from businessmen. It teaches not only Qin studies, but also geometry and other imperial examination contents. It is actually a good place for advanced studies.
A large number of Western parents are also here, and they are sincerely happy that there is a good school in Luzon.
If you want to succeed in your career, you can't do it behind closed doors without a school.
At this time, the merchants were the most envious, because they eagerly wanted to change their family's family status, from merchants to nobles.
Watching such a scene, Zheng Sen couldn't help but sigh: "Qin's study flourished in Luzon, and it started with Zheng Sen."
…
Zhejiang, Yuyao County.
To the east of the city, Xie Mansion.
According to legend, the Xie Mansion belongs to the Xie family of Chen County during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has been a high-ranking family for generations and is not affected by changes in the court.
But in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Guanlong clan arose and monopolized the high-ranking officials in the court. As a result, the aristocratic families in Guandong declined one after another, especially in Jiangnan.
However, with the Anshi Rebellion, the power of the Guanlong clan declined, and they had to give up power to the Hebei aristocratic families, and the Hebei surnames such as Cui and Wang rose.
The aristocratic families in the south of the Yangtze River declined more and more, falling into dust.
It is no longer a hundred years, but hundreds of years, that the Xie family has fallen to this day.
Xie Anguo did not know the glorious moments of his ancestors, but he knew that his own had reached an important moment.
In the study, behind a fine Japanese embroidered screen, there is a large bookshelf of hardcover books, with a collection of about a thousand volumes.
Next to it, there was a mahogany chair, covered with silk-covered wool cushions, and a Persian rug that he couldn't afford.
On Xie Anguo's desk, there are a whole row of expensive brushes, including Hu brushes and Langhao brushes. Even the paperweight is made of warm jasper, which is extremely expensive.
The carved windows are covered with green gauze, and the scenery in the garden is vaguely visible, like a green watercolor landscape painting.
"Whoa...whoa..." The cold wind blew the leaves outside the window, withering away the last few remaining ones.
It is like some kind of unique rhythm, which is more monotonous than the silk and bamboo orchestra, but more majestic and natural.
However, Xie Anguo was listening to the wind outside the window, holding a pen in his hand, and could not calm down.
He has a short beard, neither long nor short. He grew it two months ago, which makes him look a little mature.
Even the clothes on his body were no longer gorgeous, with gray and white on his body and cloth boots on his feet. In order to show elegance, there was even a pair of glasses placed next to the desk.
After all, in the circle of scholars, those who read hundreds of books must be short-sighted and need to wear special glasses to feel comfortable.
I don’t know when, but wearing glasses means reading a lot, and not wearing them means being lazy.
Xie Anguo specially made a pair of eyeglasses that are unobtrusive. Apart from their decorative function, they have no other impact at all.
At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a cloth robe and a bun came to the screen and said hurriedly: "Master, Mr. Zhao from the county came to visit me."
Xie Anguo's brows relaxed as soon as he heard this. He thought for a long time, and then said in a tone that was mixed with joy and excitement, but also forced to hold back: "Open the door and go to greet him."
He immediately stopped being in a daze, stood up, picked up the kerchief, carefully arranged his clothes, thought about it, put on his glasses, and then walked out of the study in three steps and two steps at a time.
When he arrived at the entrance of the hall, he immediately calmed down, slowed down, and bowed hurriedly: "I should have gone out to greet Mr. Zhao, but I had to change clothes because I was disheveled, so I was afraid that you would be waiting outside in a hurry."
"Haha, Mr. Xie, don't stick to those red tapes. You and I have known each other for generations and can be said to be very close."
Zhao Zhubo, who has a wide face and black robes, no longer has official authority on his face, looks like a kind uncle next door, smiling happily.
The relationship is inseparable, and we don't even see each other on weekdays. How can we interact with each other?
Xie Anguo became more and more certain.
"Your county school teacher is a good friend of mine. We play chess together on weekdays. Don't be too outspoken. Just call me Shibo!"
Lord Zhao Bo said in a friendly manner, then looked around and said: "As expected of the Xie family of Chen County, all the gentry members for many years. Hundreds of years have passed, and a nail fell in the house. The smell of books on it is even greater than that of my house."
It’s thicker.”
"You are so flattering." At this time, Xie Anguo raised his hand and said, "Shibo, I wonder if there is news about the provincial examination?"
"That's right!" Zhao Zhubo was happy, as if he had won the prize: "The provincial examination came out, and Xian Nephew High School ranked eighth."
As he spoke, he whispered: "According to the rules, the top ten in the provincial examination will be awarded the position of general judge. Now you and I are colleagues."
Xie Anguo was overjoyed.
According to the rules of the provincial examination, the top three are awarded county magistrates, the top three to ten are general magistrates, the top twenty are appointed chief clerks and county magistrates, and the rest are clerks in each house.
Nowadays, in the county government, the chief official is no more than the eighth rank, while the general judge is the seventh rank, and the official rank is still above it.
It can be said that at this moment, Xie Anguo is already his superior.
You can't help but be rude.
"It shouldn't be like this." Xie Anguo said modestly: "The provincial examination has not yet been held, everything is still unknown, so parents should not be too polite."
Zhao Zhubo smiled awkwardly: "Yes, but my nephew has a bright future. Don't forget that I am the uncle."