Chapter 63: The Debate on Status

Zhao Han stood in the center of the debate ground and declared in a ringing voice: "Why do I say all people are equal? Because this is the teaching of the sages…"

"Utter nonsense!"

The previous bickering and wild arguments had not only failed to convince anyone, but had instead stirred up everyone's anger.

Facing the crowd's rebukes, Zhao Han still smiled: "May I ask you all, who has read the *Classified Sayings of Master Zhu*?"

A teacher named Chen Lide said: "Master Zhu's books, of course one must read them."

Zhao Han cupped his hands and said: "Dare I ask you, sir, according to Master Zhu, how was the very first person born at the beginning of heaven and earth?"

Chen Lide answered: "Born through the transformation of qi, the essence of the Two and the Five combined to take form."

"May I ask you further, sir, was this first person of heaven and earth a man or a woman?" Zhao Han tilted his head and looked at the other party.

Chen Lide hesitated and said: "This… it should have been a man."

Zhao Han laughed: "Master Zhu never said that. You are guessing yourself, aren't you, sir?"

Chen Lide evaded the question: "Most likely it was a man."

Zhao Han ignored this man from then on and addressed the many teachers and students: "When Master Zhu discussed the birth of the first person, he did not specify whether it was a man or a woman. Yin and yang interacted, the five qi blended together — it could be a man, it could be a woman, it was neither man nor woman. Master Zhu also said: what is the same is principle; what is different is qi. The Five Phases in their generation each have their own nature…"

"All things in heaven and earth are born bearing the qi of yin-yang and the Five Phases, and all inherently carry the supreme principle of heaven and earth. People are the same!"

"Whether man or woman, whether imperial kin or common folk, whether of good registration or base registration — all are human beings."

"Since they are human beings, they are innately sages; it is only at the moment of birth that they are obscured by the turbid qi of the acquired world. As long as one washes away the filth, one can perceive the heavenly principle. 'If you can renew yourself one day, renew yourself every day, and renew yourself day after day' in the *Book of Rites* — this is that principle. 'All people can become a Yao or a Shun' in the *Mencius* — this is that principle. 'The Way of the Great Learning lies in making bright virtue brilliant, in renewing the people, and in resting in the highest good' in the *Great Learning* — this is that principle."

"Do you gentlemen agree or not?"

They were all words of the sages — there was simply no way to refute them.

Zhao Han had quoted the *Classified Sayings of Master Zhu*, the *Book of Rites*, the *Mencius*, and the *Great Learning*, all speaking to one principle — that all people can attain the stature of Yao and Shun.

This was the Way of the Great Learning, the ultimate pursuit of scholars since ancient times.

To oppose this statement was to dig at the foundation of the School of Principle, and even more so to dig at the foundation of Confucianism.

Zhao Han continued: "Since all people can attain Yao and Shun, and all people can become sages, is this not the equality of all people? Since all people are equal, is this not equality between men and women, equality among all professions, and equality between the good and the base?"

"I disagree!"

A teacher stood up: "This is still just the art of sophistry, confusing people's ears and eyes, nothing more."

Zhao Han laughed: "Where exactly am I confusing people's ears and eyes?"

This teacher said: "The 'people' the sages spoke of refers to the gentleman."

Zhao Han put on a look of bewilderment: "In your view, sir, did the sages of past and present only recognize the gentleman as human? The petty man is not human? Women are not human? The base people are not human? Artisans are not human?" Zhao Han suddenly burst out laughing. "You accuse me of sophistry, but you, sir, are the one playing 'a white horse is not a horse' and 'a hard stone is not a stone'!"

This teacher sternly demanded: "Can a woman truly attain Yao and Shun?"

"Can a woman not attain Yao and Shun? Have the sages of past and present ever said such a thing?" Zhao Han countered.

"Such an obvious truth — the sages simply disdained to lecture on it," this teacher now began to argue irrationally.

Zhao Han laughed: "Since the sages never said it, then you are the one making it up!"

Suddenly, a child student stood up: "The sage did say it. Confucius said: 'Only women and petty men are hard to raise!'"

Zhao Han immediately mocked: "Have you truly read the *Analects*, sir? This 'women and petty men' refers specifically to concubines and servants who bewitch their lord! That sentence you just spoke — dare you go home and say it to your own mother?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere turned merry.

That child student pointed at Zhao Han and said, agitated: "You are twisting the words of Confucius!"

Zhao Han was somewhat speechless: "I can't be bothered to argue with you. Not only have you not read the *Analects*, you don't even know Master Zhu's annotations. 'Women and petty men' refers specifically to concubines and servants who bewitch their lord — that was Master Zhu who said it, not something I made up."

That child student opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped. He looked around at the teachers and students, found they were all suppressing laughter, and immediately sat down in shame.

Of the three equalities, equality between the good and the base was the hardest for the gentry to accept.

Yet no one dared to refute equality between the good and the base, because that would violate the principles of the sages.

Equality among all professions was also irrefutable — Confucius held Guan Zhong in the highest esteem, and Guan Zhong had worked as a merchant and in other professions. This point was easy for Zhao Han to counterattack with.

Then they would seize upon equality between men and women and not let go!

A xiucai rose and said: "Men are honored, women are lowly; the husband is the guiding principle for the wife — this is the supreme principle of heaven and earth. I specialize in the *Book of Changes*. The Appended Phrases say: 'Heaven is honored, earth is lowly; thus qian and kun are fixed.' It also says: 'The Way of qian forms the male; the Way of kun forms the female.' Do not these recorded words precisely mean heaven is honored and earth is lowly, men are honored and women are lowly? Do not quibble any further!"

What a fellow — after all that wrangling, Zhao Han had finally been struck by a blade that drew blood.

Cai Maode suddenly laughed. He wanted to see how Zhao Han would handle this. The lethal force of this statement was immense.

The *Changes* is the ancestor of all the classics, and the *Appended Phrases* was authored by Confucius himself — it had long ago set the keynote of "heaven honored, earth lowly; men honored, women lowly." All thought regarding the honoring of men and the lowliness of women originates from this very passage!

Fifty years ago, when Li Zhi advocated for equality between men and women, he too was stumped by this very sentence.

To what degree was Li Zhi an iconoclast?

This gentleman directly pointed out that the *Book of Changes* had problems, directly denied the existence of the Supreme Ultimate, and directly denied the existence of the heavenly principle. He said: the ten thousand things are born from the Two — these are qian and kun, these are man and woman. Qian and kun are equal; man and woman are equal. What Supreme Ultimate, what heavenly principle — all of it is bullshit nonsense.

Those who revered him were countless; those who hated him were countless!

Zhao Han clasped his fists and asked: "May I ask your honored name, sir?"

The xiucai had a fiery temper. He barely returned the courtesy before saying impatiently: "I am Liu Ziren, courtesy name Changqing. Enough idle chatter — answer my question at once!"

This xiucai was none other than "Brother Changqing," the one who had been shouting about rebellion.

Zhao Han was exceedingly clever and would not answer head-on. Instead, he circled around and asked: "The former County Magistrate of Yanshan, Feng Xun — what sort of man was he?"

Liu Ziren sneered: "A man of no learning, nothing but an extortionist."

Zhao Han asked again: "He was a juren; you are a xiucai. He was an official; you are a commoner. Is he honored? Are you lowly?"

Liu Ziren flew into a rage: "How can one judge honor and baseness like that? He and I — both are scholars, both are subjects of the Great Ming. There is no distinction of honored and base between us! My heart dwells on lofty ideals and I keep myself pure; he has no learning and harms the people. If we speak of virtue, I am the honored one, and he is the base one!"

"Admirable, admirable!" Zhao Han bowed respectfully, laughing inwardly.

Liu Ziren said impatiently: "Quickly, return to the main topic. Do not ramble on."

Zhao Han did not dare to directly refute the *Book of Changes* and continued to circle around: "If honor and baseness are judged by virtue, then the fatuous rulers and the worthy ministers of successive dynasties — who is honored and who is base?"

"Uh…" Liu Ziren was instantly tongue-tied, and at the same time it dawned on him — he had fallen into Zhao Han's rhetorical trap.

Zhao Han pressed his attack relentlessly: "Master Zhu is a sage, yet he was also a subject. Which is more honored — Master Zhu, or the fatuous emperors of the Song dynasty? Which is more lowly — Master Zhu, or the fatuous emperors of the Song dynasty?"

"Th-this, this, this…" Liu Ziren could not answer. His face flushed red and his neck swelled as he said angrily, "You're playing those sophist word games again. Don't wander off the point — first explain the Book of Changes clearly!"

Zhao Han smiled and continued: "Master Zhu is a sage, and the Emperor is the Son of Heaven. Confucius is a sage, and the Zhou Son of Heaven was the Son of Heaven. Sage and Son of Heaven — I ask you gentlemen, which is honored and which is lowly?"

No one answered. No one dared answer. No one could answer.

Those of quick mind — including Cai Maode, Fei Yuanlu, Pang Chunlai, Zheng Zhongkui, Zhu Zhiyu — all fell into deep thought, both fearful and excited, feeling as if something was about to burst forth!

Zhao Han rose to his full height and stood, gazing up at the sky as if speaking to the heavens:

"The honor of the sage lies in his virtue and conduct — this I call dignity of person."

"The honor of the Son of Heaven lies in his power and position — this I call dignity of station."

"The sage teaches and transforms the myriad people, guides his sovereign to be a Yao or Shun — this is the nobility of personal dignity. The Son of Heaven rules over the myriad people, holds sway over the altars of state — this is the nobility of positional dignity!"

"Heaven is honored and earth is lowly — in station. Heaven and earth are equal — in dignity."

"Man is honored and woman is lowly — in station. Man and woman are equal — in dignity."

"The scholar is honored and the commoner is lowly — in station. The hundred trades are equal — in dignity."

"The good are honored and the mean are lowly — in station. Good and mean are equal — in dignity."

Zhao Han paced back and forth, and with every step he spoke a line — ringing with force, deafening and enlightening.

"All people are born equal — not equality of station, but equality of personal dignity!"

"The fatuous sovereigns of every age — exalted in station but base in dignity. The worthy ministers of every age — lowly in station but exalted in dignity."

"The cruel and tyrannical master — exalted in station but base in dignity. The loyal, righteous, and humane servant — lowly in station but exalted in dignity."

"The inept and virtueless husband — exalted in station but base in dignity. The worthy, good, chaste, and virtuous wife — lowly in station but exalted in dignity."

"In terms of personal dignity — be they princes, dukes, generals, or ministers, be they good or mean among the common people — all are born equal!"

"The honor or baseness of personal dignity — that must be judged by one's virtue and conduct."

Zhao Han looked at the crowd and said with finality: "Thus I say: in terms of personal dignity, all people are born equal!"

"Boom!"

The whole assembly erupted.

Chaos — utter chaos — the scene could no longer be controlled.

Some were struck as if by a blow to the head, their thoughts suddenly clear and unobstructed.

Some had their tails stepped on and erupted in frenzied curses.

What Zhao Han had said could be called earth-shattering — forcibly separating status from personal dignity. Like the cook Ding carving an ox, there was not the slightest obstruction; it fully accorded with Confucian values, fully accorded with the teachings of ancient and modern sages.

He did not oppose Confucianism, did not oppose Confucius or Mencius, did not oppose the Cheng-Zhu school — yet he drove in a nail.

A nail that the masses could accept.

The serving boys present would think: Though I am but a household slave, my personal dignity is noble — a hundred times greater than my idiot master's.

The scholars present would think: Though I hold no official post, my personal dignity is noble — a hundred times greater than those corrupt officials'.

The officials present would think: Though I am not in the court, my personal dignity is noble — a hundred times greater than those beasts filling the court's.

Even a commoner, so long as he possesses both virtue and talent, is more noble than the Emperor himself!

And there was one more thought that none dared entertain, and those who did dared not voice: What should be done when dignity does not match station?

Should the cruel master be overthrown?

Should the greedy official be overthrown?

Should the fatuous and inept emperor be overthrown?

If personal dignity is equal, can one then pursue equality of station?

Hush!

Quiet — he has not finished speaking yet.

The autumn wind suddenly rose, stirring the branches and leaves. The tree desires stillness, yet the wind will not cease.

Zhao Han halted abruptly, his robes and sleeves fluttering in the wind. He suddenly raised his arm and cried out: "Gentlemen — the Way of the Great Learning lies in illuminating bright virtue, in drawing close to the people, in resting in the highest good!"

Like a great bell tolling, it shook their hearts.

Cai Maode, Zheng Zhongkui, Zhu Zhiyu, and Pang Chunlai — all four rose to their feet in unison, their faces filled with shock.

Fei Yuanlu clutched his sleeves and murmured to himself: "At such a young age, to dare cry out that final line — does he intend to found his own school?"

Back in those days, Wang Yangming had begun his incision from this very line.

(End of chapter)