Chapter 83: “The Theory of Contradiction

I truly am not neglecting my duties. Main Text, Chapter 83: “The Theory of Contradiction” Is Now Fully Completed, Published and Circulated Throughout the Realm. Hu Zongxian was the overall commander in the southeast suppressing the Japanese pirates; under his leadership, the pirate threat gradually subsided. Hu Zongxian did not seek peace with the pirates or establish tribute trade systems, nor did he build his own faction to pressure the court into concessions.

The tactic of harboring bandits to strengthen one’s own position, relaxing defenses to appease enemies—this trick is not exclusive to the Jin Party. In fact, any civil or military official in the Great Ming who fails to master this skill will suffer greatly.

Civil officials are no different. For example, Wang Yue, a Jinshi of the second year of Jing Tai, was ennobled for military merit, but in the nineteenth year of Cheng Hua, he was stripped of his title and rank, exiled to Anlu to live in idleness.

Consider Hu Zongxian at the end of the Jiajing era.

Civil officials who win victories betray their own class and will be persecuted.

Hu Zongxian was guilty—he clung to the corrupt powerful, Yan Song and his son.

After Yan Song and his son fell from power in the forty-first year of Jiajing, Hu Zongxian, due to his ties to the Yan faction, was dismissed and sent home to live in retirement. But Hu Zongxian did not enjoy his twilight years; two years later, disaster descended upon him.

Hu Zongxian was thrown back into prison under the charge of the Yan faction—this time for a forged imperial edict written in his own hand.

In October of the forty-fourth year of Jiajing, Hu Zongxian wrote the “Memorial to Clear His Slander,” yet received no reply from the late emperor. On the third day of the eleventh month of the forty-fourth year of Jiajing, he penned, “A precious sword buried in wrongful prison, loyal soul circling white clouds,” then took his own life at age fifty-four.

Wang Daoqin, then Provincial Governor of Fujian, was Hu Zongxian’s close friend, comrade-in-arms, and fellow townsman. Upon hearing of Hu Zongxian’s suicide in prison, he was filled with grief and fury, and submitted a memorial comparing Xu Jie to Qin Gui.

Wang Daoqin called Xu Jie the Qin Gui of the Great Ming because Hu Zongxian’s death had three mysteries:

First, Hu Zongxian’s association with powerful men was solely to suppress the pirates; one offense should not be punished twice. Since Hu Zongxian had already been stripped of office and punished in the forty-first year of Jiajing for clinging to Yan Song, why, two years later, was he again thrown into prison under the charge of being a Yan faction member? Even if Hu Zongxian were the most foolish man alive, could he have personally written a forged imperial edict? Where is that forged edict written in Hu Zongxian’s own hand?

Second, did the late emperor ever see Hu Zongxian’s “Memorial to Clear His Slander”? Did the Grand Secretariat exploit bureaucratic rigidity to withhold Hu Zongxian’s petition? Did the late emperor even read it—and then ignore it?

Third, what was Hu Zongxian’s true cause of death? Qin Gui was a great corrupt official; Xu Jie was corrupt too. Qin Gui wrongfully executed Yue Fei; Xu Jie presided over the Grand Secretariat. Was Hu Zongxian’s death a suicide out of fear of punishment—or was it a deliberate humiliation orchestrated by Xu Jie, driving Hu Zongxian to die in disgrace in prison?

After being reinstated during the Longqing era, Wang Daoqin continued to press this matter, investigating for years. He found no answers to any of the three questions. Wang Daoqin knew he would likely never find them.

In the sixth year of Longqing, to appease Wang Daoqin and other ministers who had protested Hu Zongxian’s injustice, the court restored Hu Zongxian’s reputation as a suppressor of pirates and recorded his military achievements.

Court ministers attacked Zhang Juzheng by accusing him of intimidating the emperor, for no other charges could be found.

In the case of the assassin Wang Zhanglong who attempted to murder the emperor, evidence included a handwritten note by Gao Gong, yet Zhang Juzheng did not use this case to pursue and destroy the Xinzheng faction.

Whether the late emperor ever personally saw Hu Zongxian’s “Memorial to Clear His Slander” remains an unsolved mystery. But Zhang Juzheng submitted the “Memorial on Five Matters,” demanding the emperor review every petition—do not discard them in the trash, do not burn them in the imperial kitchen, do not withhold them indefinitely. Even if the emperor lazily scribbled an “X,” the relevant ministries must act—and he instituted the Imperial Diary, so everyone could clearly see whether the emperor had read the memorials.

As for wrongful cases, Zhang Juzheng never handled such matters during his tenure. The Zhang faction and the Jin faction were as hostile as water and fire. In the case of Ma Fang, the Grand Commander of Datong favored by the Jin Party, the Ministry of War claimed Ma Fang had meritorious service; Zhang Juzheng did not pursue, persecute, or drive Ma Fang, Ma Gui, Ma Jin, or others to death.

There is a vast difference between a statesman and a politician; there is also a vast difference between a politician and a beast.

Undoubtedly, Zhang Juzheng was a statesman. He sought to realize his ideals, not to retaliate against enemies after seizing power.

Zhang Juzheng carefully controlled the intensity of factional strife, preventing the Great Ming from collapsing.

“Does anyone have further questions?” Zhang Juzheng glanced around, wrote his opinion on the floating ticket, and dispatched Wang Daoqin, Provincial Governor of Songjiang; Yu Dayou, Left Grand Marshal and Commander of the Front Army of Songjiang; and the eunuch Zhang Cheng, among other officials, to Songjiang to oversee Xu Jie’s return of land.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng’s floating ticket, picked up the imperial seal, and stamped it.

Zhang Juzheng took the memorial from Zhang Hong and passed it to Zhang Han, then shook something from his sleeve—a new memorial.

Zhang Juzheng said: “Shujishi Shen Yiguan has submitted a memorial regarding Hu Zongxian’s rehabilitation.”

“It states: The Grand Marshal Hu Gong is a minister of state who, amid national turmoil, encountered a wise sovereign.”

“Grand Marshal Hu rendered great service to the state. Yet he died suddenly in prison. Scholar Shen, moved by Hu’s fate, declares: Emperor Gao once pardoned the guilty by weighing their merits. Our state relied on Grand Marshal Hu to suppress the Japanese pirates in the southeast. His death was not the late emperor’s will. Now that the Grand Marshal is gone, how can we tarnish the late emperor’s wisdom? We humbly request that the Grand Marshal’s meritorious service in suppressing pirates be recorded and that he be granted a posthumous title to restore his honor.”

“His righteous spirit endures, stirring heaven and earth; his loyal soul dwells eternally, the same through all ages.”

“I recall following the Grand Marshal, hunting bears in the long yang groves. A thousand banners and riders surged forth; the celestial net stretched empty in all four corners.”

“His prose rivals Sima Xiangru; his times echo the Han emperor. Now that the birds are all gone, let us preserve the bowcase and the fine bow.”

Shen Yiguan was a scholar of the second year of Longqing, a member of the Zhe Party. His father, Shen Mingchen, had once served as Hu Zongxian’s secretary and called himself “Scholar Shen.”

After Hu Zongxian’s death, no one dared to mourn him—Shen Mingchen went. He tirelessly campaigned to restore Hu Zongxian’s posthumous reputation. When his son passed the imperial examination, Shen Mingchen urged him to continue the cause.

The main point of this memorial is to grant Hu Zongxian a posthumous title, completing his legacy. Hu Zongxian should not have died—but he is dead. To honor the sovereign, we must not say the late emperor ordered his death. Then who overstepped the imperial authority to kill Hu Zongxian?

“Should Hu Zongxian be granted a posthumous title?” Zhang Juzheng looked around and asked: “He should. Hu Pingbo suppressed pirates and rendered great service, yet died in prison. To restore his name is only right.”

Zhang Juzheng expressed his stance: grant the title.

Yu si: to die in prison from torture, starvation, cold, disease, or humiliation.

Hai Rui stared in astonishment at Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng, presiding over court affairs, first removed Dong Chuance, Vice Minister of Rites in Nanjing and Xu Jie’s protector, on charges of bribery. Then he dispatched Wang Daoqin, Xu Jie’s enemy, to reexamine Hu Zongxian’s rehabilitation. This coordinated strike—could Xu Jie survive?

When Hai Rui served as Provincial Governor of Yingtian, he investigated Xu Jie’s land seizures but failed to remove Xu Jie’s protectors, failed to unite officials who had campaigned for Hu Zongxian, and never thought to rehabilitate Hu Zongxian to place Xu Jie under public pressure.

This coordinated strike flowed like clouds and water.

“What do you all think?” Zhang Juzheng closed Shen Yiguan’s memorial and looked at all the court ministers. Hu Zongxian sought glory but received disgrace. Now, recording his merit in suppressing pirates and granting him a posthumous title—does anyone oppose?

The ministers glanced at each other. No one stepped forward to oppose. The Jin Party remained aloof, indifferent.

Zhang Juzheng picked up his brush, wrote his opinion on the floating ticket, and handed it to Zhang Hong for submission to the emperor.

Zhu Yijun glanced at it and stamped it again.

Zhang Juzheng rose, brushed his sleeves, knelt on the ground, and declared loudly: “Your Majesty, I have a memorial to submit.”

“When I first passed the imperial examination and was selected as a Shujishi, I entered the Hanlin Academy. Xu Jie taught me the principles of statecraft, imparted knowledge, resolved doubts. Later, Xu Jie recommended me as tutor to the Prince of Yu. This was a great favor.”

“Out of personal affection, I humbly beg Your Majesty to consider his contributions during the Jiajing and Longqing reigns, and issue an edict to show leniency—limit the matter to the return of land, and avoid sweeping purges. I will also write a personal letter to him, clarifying the stakes. Your Majesty is young; I fear the realm will tremble. If Xu Jie still refuses to return the land and persists in self-interest, then we may issue a stern edict to compel him.”

Zhang Juzheng had his trusted aide Chen Tang remove Xu Jie’s protector, then allowed Xu Jie’s enemies to investigate the case, granted Hu Zongxian a posthumous title to place Xu Jie under absolute public pressure, and only then requested the emperor’s edict to prevent the matter from escalating—if Xu Jie still resists, then issue a stern order.

Zhang Juzheng made it clear: this is a personal request. If the emperor does not issue the edict, Zhang Juzheng can do nothing more—he has done all he can to protect his former teacher.

Zhu Yijun fell silent, thinking: scholars play dirty indeed.

Zhang Juzheng did all the dirty work, then said: “Everyone sees—I didn’t want this. The court’s momentum forced me. I tried my best. It’s not my fault I couldn’t save Xu Jie…”

The court’s situation was entirely Zhang Juzheng’s doing. Chen Tang was his man. Shen Yiguan had been campaigning for Hu Zongxian every month.

Zhang Juzheng is the classic case of wanting it both ways!

You are the one who kills. You are the one who assembled all the conditions for killing. You sharpened the blade to razor sharpness. And you are the one shouting, “Don’t kill!”

Zhu Yijun thought briefly, then nodded: “No objection.”

Regarding the pursuit of Xu Jie, Hai Rui had previously suggested limiting it to land return.

Of course, if Xu Jie remains obstinate, it is not Zhang Juzheng’s fault as a student for failing to speak for him. Zhang Juzheng has done all he can; the court has done all it can. The land must be returned.

As for Xu Jie’s livelihood, there is no need to worry. The imperial decree recalling Hai Rui was issued in February; the court’s announcement of further investigation came in September.

That means Xu Jie had seven full months to prepare. His class status will indeed decline in this investigation, but he will not starve to death in his tombhouse like Yan Song.

Before his death, Yan Song, under the emperor’s harsh edict and public condemnation, had to steal offerings left at graves. Even Hu Zongxian, who had been retired for two years, was thrown back into the imperial prison and died in humiliation. Yan Song’s son was dead; no one cared for Yan Song anymore.

Hai Rui conflated the opening of the sea trade with the investigation of Xu Jie’s land seizures—not because he didn’t understand politics, but because the main opposition to opening the sea in the south came from coastal gentry. By striking the coastal gentry, the Maritime Office of Songjiang could be established as a fait accompli.

The court deliberation continued. Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang delivered another blow to Xu Jie.

Wang Guoguang held up a memorial and said: “Provincial Governor Song Yangshan submitted a memorial stating: the fertile lands of Suzhou and Songjiang have long suffered unequal land taxes, with countless cases of land seizure and tax arrears—this is deeply lamentable. Now that the holy sovereign has ascended the throne, he must eradicate these longstanding abuses and establish enduring policies for the state.”

“Powerful families hold up to seventy thousand qing of land. The Shen family owes twenty thousand shi in grain tax and refuses to pay on time. In ancient times, even a great state’s public fields were only thirty thousand mu. Now, they are a hundred times greater than the ancient great states. How many qing can the state hold without becoming poor?”

“If we press too hard, the people will flee and rebel.”

At first glance, this memorial by the Provincial Governor of Yingtian seemed to target the Shen family—the other half of Songjiang, Xu Jie’s principal wife’s family.

“Is seventy thousand qing exaggerated? Is this just noise to stir up pressure?” Hai Rui frowned. Seventy thousand qing is seven million mu!

The Great Ming had only seven million qing of land total. Could Xu Jie’s family really seize so much?

Where in Songjiang could there be so much land? When Hai Rui served as Provincial Governor of Yingtian, he investigated the Shen family of Xu Jie’s principal wife. Indeed, they owned countless fertile fields—but certainly not seventy thousand qing.

“I had the same suspicion,” Wang Guoguang clarified. “I specifically wrote to inquire. Provincial Governor Song’s intent was: the total amount of fertile land seized by the southern administration exceeds seventy thousand qing; the Shen family alone owes twenty thousand shi in straw tax.”

The total seized fertile land in the southern administration exceeds seventy thousand qing—not the Shen family. How could the Xu and Shen families possibly seize seventy thousand qing?

When Wang Guoguang first received the memorial, he was astonished and wrote to Song Yangshan: What status does the Shen family have to seize seventy thousand qing?

Only after Song Yangshan’s reply did Wang Guoguang understand.

If Xu Jie refuses to surrender, the land to be reclaimed will not be limited to the twenty-four thousand mu he seized—it will include his principal wife’s family and the entire southern administration’s seventy thousand qing of land.

Wang Guoguang brought up this memorial specifically to pressure Xu Jie into surrendering.

“Then I misunderstood,” Hai Rui realized. The southern administration’s fourteen prefectures account for over half of the Great Ming’s straw tax. The state’s recent fiscal deficits are closely tied to the growing trend of land seizure and consolidation in the south.

Regarding Xu Jie’s land return, the matter was temporarily settled after Wang Guoguang’s additional blow.

Zhang Juzheng continued: “Your Majesty is young, and court memorials are obscure and hard to understand. They lack punctuation, contain ambiguous phrasing. The first task of the Kaocheng Law is to require official documents to use plain language and common characters, include proper punctuation, express clearly without ambiguity, and reduce unnecessary verbosity.”

To help the young emperor understand the court ministers’ memorials, the first measure of the Kaocheng Law, to be implemented nationwide, was to demand clear, straightforward official writing—not vague, convoluted, information-overloaded nonsense.

Zhang Juzheng, presiding over the Grand Secretariat, was tired of reading memorials filled with thousands of words of nonsense—memorials that stretched for pages yet contained only a few sentences of substance. Wasn’t that sheer nonsense?

The Kaocheng Law’s cudgel finally struck from the capital down to the provinces.

After the court deliberation ended, the lecturers and readers for the lecture sessions entered the hall. Zhang Juzheng shook two letters from his sleeve and handed them to Zhang Hong, bowing low: “I have written letters to Provincial Governor Song Yangshan and to Xu Jie. I humbly request Your Majesty’s review.”

Zhu Yijun opened the two letters. These were private correspondence, not meant for imperial eyes—but since they involved state affairs, they naturally had to be shown to the emperor.

Under the Kaocheng Law, the Grand Secretariat should be evaluated by the emperor. But since the sovereign is young, this evaluation is difficult to implement. Still, given the magnitude of this matter, Zhang Juzheng decided to let the emperor see it—he believed the young emperor could understand.

The reply to Provincial Governor Song Yangshan discussed the problems of land seizure: seized land can only be maintained long-term with judicial protection, giving rise to the great evil of official complicity—mutual tolerance and shielding.

To address land seizure, administrative reform and land survey must proceed together. A land survey alone cannot solve the problem.

In the letter to Xu Jie, Zhang Juzheng’s wording was extremely harsh.

Zhu Yijun read: “The Grand Secretary wrote: In former times, chancellors failed to serve the state faithfully, indulged personal feelings, even transported millions of gold into their homes—then they were led by the nose. Now, Your Majesty is young; I bear the weight of the realm alone. I do not hesitate to sacrifice my family for the state’s benefit, or even my life to save it. Can mere idle talk shake or sway me?”

“Anyone who obstructs public law or harms officials carrying out their duties—the state’s statutes are clear: they will not be spared. The matters concerning land return are entirely justified.”

“The Grand Secretary’s wording is too severe.”

What does “Anyone who obstructs public law or harms officials carrying out their duties—the state’s statutes are clear: they will not be spared” mean?

Zhang Juzheng’s letter was a direct threat—no sentiment, no mercy. If you do not return the land, obstruct public law, or harm officials carrying out their duties—the state’s statutes are clear: you will not be spared!

Zhu Yijun, having read widely, knew that “pu” here did not mean servant—it was a humble self-reference, like “this humble one.”

“I fear Xu Jie does not understand the gravity of his situation and commits a grave crime. Then it will be too late to reverse—no one can save him. The words are harsh, but Xu Huating’s conduct has been disgraceful,” Zhang Juzheng said helplessly.

Greed is greed. But to be so greedy, to be exposed down to the last detail—how can Zhang Juzheng defend him? Twenty-four thousand mu of land—even if the highest rank of first-class official was allowed ten thousand mu, Xu Jie’s holdings were twenty-four times the limit.

As Zhang Juzheng’s teacher, Xu Jie had bestowed upon him the grace of instruction and mentorship. This personal debt Zhang Juzheng must repay—he could not remain silent. But the matter had reached this point. If Xu Jie still refuses to see reason, it is not Zhang Juzheng’s fault.

Zhu Yijun handed the two letters to Zhang Hong. Feng Bao sealed them with red wax and dispatched them to the Jiulong Pavilion Relay Station, to be sent to Yingtian Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture.

“I shall clarify for Your Majesty,” Zhang Juzheng said, as he saw the matter concluded, beginning today’s lecture session.

“The question I asked a few days ago, Master Yuanfu, you have yet to answer.” Zhu Yijun asked: Are spear and shield always right?

Master Yuanfu remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Juzheng had already understood this question; he bowed and said: “Your servant has gained some insight: solitary yin does not give birth, solitary yang does not grow; thus heaven and earth are paired with yin and yang.”

“Laozi of the Dao De Jing said: The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to all things. All things carry yin and embrace yang; their harmonious blending is achieved through qi.”

“A pure spear and a pure shield cannot endure, nor can they become sharper or stronger—just as solitary yin does not give birth and solitary yang does not grow. Thus heaven and earth contain yin and yang, and thus contain contradiction.”

“The Dao is singular and unique; it inherently contains yin and yang qi. The interaction of yin and yang qi forms a balanced state—where each contains the other—and all things arise from this state.”

“All things carry yin and face yang, carry yang and face yin; through the mutual agitation of yin and yang qi, a new balance is formed—this is called ‘blending qi to achieve harmony.’”

“Yin and yang arise from the Dao; contradiction also arises from the Dao. Yin is yang, yang is yin; spear is shield, shield is spear. Spear and shield, like heaven and earth’s yin and yang qi, when they clash, form a balanced state.”

Zhu Yijun listened carefully to Zhang Juzheng’s explanation. This was still contradiction clashing—producing doubt and resolving it—the role of contradiction in the development of things, but not exactly what Zhu Yijun had hoped to hear.

“Is this Master Yuanfu’s answer?” Zhu Yijun asked after a long silence.

Zhang Juzheng continued: “Spear and shield are originally one entity. At one time it is a spear, at another a shield; it is not always correct. Sometimes the spear is blocked by the shield; sometimes the shield is pierced by the spear.”

“This is slightly difficult to understand. Let me use clan factions as an example.”

“At its beginning, the Jin Party was a sharp spear, uniting to resolve conflict with Altan Khan. The force within court opposing reconciliation and insisting on continuing war regardless of the people’s welfare was the solid shield.”

“After Altan Khan’s tribute and enfeoffment, the Jin Party became a clan faction—drawn together by shared benefit, repelled by shared harm. At this point, the Jin Party transformed, becoming a solid shield.”

“Yang Taizai was dissatisfied that Zhang Sihui and Wang Chonggu had concealed their underhanded deeds from him. He rejected Zhang Sihui’s principle of ‘drawn together by shared benefit, repelled by shared harm,’ and to ensure continuity, proposed upholding the sovereign’s authority to resist Master Yuanfu’s overwhelming influence over the emperor—thus forming a new spear and shield.”

“The Jin Party rejected the court’s prevailing force; the clan faction rejected the Jin Party’s achievements; Yang Taizai then rejected the clan faction’s alliance-based agenda. Now Ge Shouli is the new sharp spear; Wang Chonggu and Zhang Sihui have become the solid shield.”

“Where there is contradiction, there must be struggle. Mutual negation drives the Jin Party forward, freeing it from the clan faction’s shackles and enabling further transformation.”

“The Jin Party is like this; my Zhang Party and the Jin Party are like this; the Zhe Party and the Zhang Party are like this; ministerial power and imperial power are like this; the infinite principle of all things is like this.”

After speaking, Zhang Juzheng was not entirely certain whether the ten-year-old emperor of Great Ming could understand what he had said.

To resolve this, Zhang Juzheng reread all of Laozi’s writings, gained some insight, and truly exhausted himself to alleviate the emperor’s doubts.

After listening, Zhu Yijun’s eyes brightened; he smiled and said: “Master Yuanfu’s words are profoundly enlightening. I shall use Hu Zongxian as an example.”

“Hu Zongxian attached himself to Yan Song and Yan Shifan, serving as Regional Commander in the southeast to suppress the Japanese pirates pirates. He pacified the pirates—that is the essence, the practical fulfillment, the achievement of negotiation.”

“But Hu Zongxian’s attachment to Yan Song and his son is also fact. This achievement cannot be separated from Hu Zongxian’s individual actions and the Yan Faction as a collective—it is both unity and opposition.”

“When Xu Jie led the campaign against Yan Song, he first affirmed Hu Zongxian’s merits, then completely denied them, even fabricating accusations that Hu Zongxian forged imperial edicts, ultimately resulting in a tragedy—a process of total negation.”

“During Gao Gong’s tenure, Wang Daoqun, Shen Mingchen, and others campaigned on Hu Zongxian’s behalf.”

“The court began reevaluating Hu Zongxian’s specific merits and faults. Only when they saw the Jin Party transform into a clan faction did they realize how difficult it was for Hu Zongxian to pacify the Japanese pirates and eradicate the pirate threat. Thus they rehabilitated Hu Zongxian’s reputation—this is concrete analysis: merit is merit, fault is fault, one is one, two is two—the practical fulfillment.”

“Finally, now, after Hai Rui’s return to court, debate over Xu Jie’s land restitution was revived, leading to renewed discussion of Hu Zongxian’s wrongful case. Analyzing from all angles the benefits and harms of Xu Jie’s governance and the impact of Hu Zongxian’s injustice, they reached the conclusion: Hu Zongxian shall be credited for pacifying the Japanese pirates and granted a posthumous title, while Xu Jie must return the land.”

“Confusing affirmation, total negation, concrete analysis’s truth, and comprehensive compromise’s harmony—through two negations, the development of things becomes clear and certain. Is this what Master Yuanfu means by ‘negation of negation’?”

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng. Was Zhang Juzheng himself not the same?

Zhang Juzheng’s new policies were affirmation; Zhang Sihui’s rule was a complete negation of Zhang Juzheng; when the Wanli Emperor lost Zhang Juzheng entirely, he realized the Great Ming Empire had only one Zhang Juzheng—alone and unsupported, he slumped into decay for thirty years. This is negation of negation.

The infinite principle of all things cycles forward spirally through affirmation, negation, and further negation.

“Your Majesty’s wisdom is innate!” Zhang Juzheng, moved by the emperor’s summary, said: Your summary is precise—you have expressed my words clearly in plain language.

Zhu Yijun smiled: “Thus, Master Yuanfu, from the metaphysical realm of inner knowing and the practical realm of concrete action, has established the definition of contradiction—as with knowledge and action, it is both opposing and unified. You have interpreted Yang Bo’s question on gentleman and villain, the transformation of the Jin Party, and the full story of Hu Zongxian’s wrongful case.”

“Let us use these three cases as examples to begin publishing the Theory of Contradiction.”

Zhang Juzheng was stunned. The young emperor truly struck to the heart—he had not yet died, and Xu Jie was already nailed to the pillory of history.

Zhu Yijun continued: “One yin, one yang—this is the Dao. What follows it is goodness; what completes it is nature. One must not fixate on a single image, nor fix a name. From the universal interconnection among infinite things, we establish contradiction’s universal existence: contradiction exists in all things, always permeating the development of the infinite principle—contradiction is everywhere, always present.”

“Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand li; without accumulating tiny streams, one cannot form rivers and seas. The development of things accumulates through repeated clashes of contradiction—sometimes the spear wears down with each impact, sometimes the shield is pierced. Ultimately, a quantitative change becomes a qualitative change.”

“From contradiction’s universal presence in the infinite principle of all things, we extend the process by which contradiction promotes the development of all things: phenomenon—negation—truth—harmony. This is the fundamental process of negation of negation.”

“An invincible shield and an irresistible spear must inevitably clash. Where there is clash, there is struggle. This continuous struggle completes the mutual transformation of spear and shield, confirming that contradiction, like knowledge and action, is the two sides of a single coin: solitary yin does not give birth, solitary yang does not grow; thus heaven and earth are paired with yin and yang.”

“In this struggle, one must maintain conflict without rupture, clearly distinguishing primary from secondary contradictions. If one cannot discern urgency and importance, if primary and secondary are confused, then when contradictions clash, the spear breaks and the shield shatters—this is the lesson of the Two Song dynasties’ party purges.”

“Thus, the Theory of Contradiction is now complete—it may be published and circulated throughout the realm.”

“Your name shall surely be recorded in history, blessing future generations.”

Zhu Yijun took his own notes and carefully summarized Zhang Juzheng’s Theory of Contradiction in full.

After Zhang Juzheng fully answered Zhu Yijun’s question, the content of the Theory of Contradiction would no longer remain a limited circulation but become a prominent school of thought, published throughout the realm, advancing beyond Wang Yangming’s unity of knowledge and action and elucidating the fundamental principle of the infinite principle of all things.

Aim for the highest and you attain the middle—even to oppose Zhang Juzheng’s Theory of Contradiction, one must use the unity of knowledge and action as the basis of rebuttal.

The emasculated version of Wang Yangming’s mind school—only speaking of attaining innate knowledge, ignoring unity of knowledge and action—would collapse before the dialectical Theory of Contradiction.

“Your servant dares not claim the glory of heaven—it is all due to Your Majesty’s innate wisdom,” Zhang Juzheng quickly bowed.

This meant Zhu Yijun, as emperor, was the overall director and corresponding author of the Theory of Contradiction, while Zhang Juzheng and Yang Bo were co-authors.

“Today, what shall we discuss?” Zhu Yijun asked, smiling, after the imperial readers finished their notes.

“The Analects,” Zhang Juzheng replied. Having mastered the Theory of Contradiction, he had shattered his own intellectual dogma; now, in audience with the emperor and during lectures, he moved with ease.

For example, this passage: Confucius said: Can one govern a state by ritual and deference? What difficulty would there be? If one cannot govern by ritual and deference, what use is ritual?

Meaning: The Master said: If one governs a state through ritual and deference, what difficulty remains? If one cannot govern through ritual and deference, what purpose does ritual serve?

Zhang Juzheng spoke: “The Master means that a ruler must not rely solely on laws and prohibitions—he must prioritize ritual and deference. Ritual distinguishes honor and humility, clarifies hierarchy.”

“For example, between ruler and minister, there is court ritual: the superior is not arrogant, the inferior does not overstep; status naturally remains stable—this is ritual and deference between ruler and minister.”

“Between father and son, there is family ritual: the father is kind, the son is filial; affection naturally harmonizes—this is ritual and deference between father and son.”

“Ritual and deference are the practical fulfillment of ritual.”

Zhu Yijun’s expression turned peculiar. “Master Yuanfu, I have a doubt.”

“Your servant will resolve Your Majesty’s doubt,” Zhang Juzheng said, now confident.

Zhu Yijun asked calmly: “According to the Master, if one governs by ritual and deference, what difficulty remains?”

It would seem that if Your Majesty’s rituals all stem from sincere reverence and humility, then ritual instruction alone would suffice to purify customs and clarify the social atmosphere; sincerity alone would inspire ministers to unwavering loyalty. Then officials and commoners would naturally adhere to propriety, follow reason, and collectively return to ritual and deference—discipline would be restored, and customs refined.

“Is this truly so?”

Zhang Juzheng paused before replying: “The principle is indeed so. But the Dao is not eternally constant. Today, inferiors overstep, superiors are immature; status cannot remain stable; fathers are not kind, sons are not filial; ritual and deference between ruler and minister and father and son have vanished. Thus laws and prohibitions are needed—to enrich the state and secure the realm, to strengthen the army and punish disloyal subjects.”

Zhu Yijun realized Zhang Juzheng could now skillfully use the Theory of Contradiction to explain problems in Confucianism that had previously been unresolvable.

“Hmm, so it is,” Zhu Yijun nodded approvingly and continued the daily lecture.

When the lecture ended, Zhu Yijun rose slightly and bowed to conclude today’s session.

“Master Yuanfu, do you think Xu Jie will surrender quietly and return the land?” Zhu Yijun asked suddenly as he was leaving.

Someone says, I update once a day! ╭╮ Clearly I update twice a day—one update is 8,000 characters, so 16,000 per day!! ╭╮!