Chapter 67: 066 Zhao Zhuochen

During the Ming dynasty, literati formed societies as thick as cattle hair.

In his youth, Wang Yangming joined several; the Donglin Faction itself began as just a literary society. The Six Talents of Redwater in southern Jiangxi, mentioned earlier — four of them were killed by rebels on their way home from the provincial exam — they too had formed a Redwater Society.

Over thirty people signed up for the Great Unity Society on the spot.

Zhao Han did not pick and choose; he accepted them all in one sweep.

Just hold a few more society activities, and the ones merely along for the excitement will naturally expose themselves; then develop core members from those who remain.

Rely on a bunch of xiucai and child students to start a rebellion?

Rely on them to resist the Tartars?

Pure nonsense.

There was also the Iron Foot Association in Hekou Town; Zhao Han was happy to make their acquaintance too.

But likewise, they could not be treated as a mainstay — a guild-cum-thug outfit is unreliable.

The strength of the literary association could be borrowed, the strength of the workers' association could be borrowed, the strength of the Fei clan could be borrowed.

But none of these forces could easily become Zhao Han's base!

Without a base, one is like water without a source, like duckweed without roots. One may rise for a time, may ride smooth winds and favorable currents, but cannot withstand a major setback.

"Gentlemen!"

After lunch, Zhao Han cupped his fist and said, "As for founding the society, let us discuss the details another day. I have just been summoned by the Education Commissioner and must go receive his instruction."

"Go quickly, do not keep the Commissioner waiting," the students said.

Cai Maode was staying in the guest quarters; a sturdy servant opened the door.

Zhao Han asked, "May I ask, sir, is the Commissioner in?"

The sturdy servant bowed and said, "The Commissioner has been waiting some time. Young sir, please enter."

At that moment, Cai Maode sat before his desk, on which brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were laid out.

A sheet of draft paper was spread open, casually scribbled with key phrases such as "uprooting the root to block the source," "the unity of all things," "the pure essence of the Dao-mind," "the harmony of the Five Teachings," and "the discourse on ge-positions."

Clearly, this man was engaged in scholarship — and scholarship of great importance.

There seemed to be some crux he had not yet grasped; Cai Maode sat with eyes closed in bitter contemplation, so deep that he did not even notice Zhao Han enter the room.

Not wishing to disturb him, Zhao Han quietly sat down and also began to rest with his eyes shut.

After a long while, Cai Maode suddenly opened his eyes and immediately began writing furiously; another dozen-odd key phrases appeared on the draft paper.

When he was about to formally compose his essay, he finally noticed someone sitting beside him. Cai Maode set down his brush and asked with a smile, "Have you been here long?"

Zhao Han rose and bowed. "This junior pays his respects to the Commissioner."

Cai Maode was in excellent spirits at that moment; the more he looked at Zhao Han, the more he liked him. In a kindly tone, he said, "Sit and speak."

Zhao Han sat down accordingly and asked, "May I ask what instruction the Commissioner summoned me for?"

Cai Maode asked, "At your tender age, you already possess such grand discourse — did you think it all up yourself?"

Zhao Han replied, "When this student was ten, reading the Great Learning, I seemed to grasp something. I then spent four years poring over the Confucian classics and commentaries, and only then arrived at this laughable discourse on ge-positions."

"Ten years old?"

Cai Maode was both astonished and regretful. "Four years ago, Magistrate Feng of Yanshan should have recommended you for the child prodigy examination."

During the Ming, prefectural and county magistrates could nominate prodigies around the age of ten to bypass the county and prefectural exams and go directly to the circuit examination. The chief examiner would give special consideration to prodigies, lowering the grading standards and granting them priority admission.

Feng Menglong, who wrote the Sanyan, came up through the prodigy examination and became a stipend xiucai at eleven.

In the Jiajing reign, Zhao Shichun took the prodigy examination at nine; his essay was so good he was suspected of cheating.

The Education Commissioner gave him an oral exam with the topic "The Master said." Zhao Shichun immediately broke the topic: "A common man who became a teacher for a hundred generations; a single saying that became the law for all under Heaven."

The Commissioner, astonished, then set "Zhao Shichun" as the topic. Zhao Shichun instantly broke it: "His surname crowns the head of the Hundred Families; his given name stands at the fore of the four seasons."

The prodigy examination was harder to cheat on than the ordinary circuit examination.

Any candidate selected would inevitably draw the attention of the entire province; if a problem arose, the Education Commissioner would bear a lifelong stain.

Zhao Han asked, puzzled, "This junior is still very young — why is the Commissioner in such haste?"

Cai Maode sighed and said, "If you wish to propagate your discourse on ge-positions, you must at least hold the rank of xiucai. Even if I wished to promote you, there is no opportunity left. After next year's qualifying examination, I will most likely be transferred to another post."

The child examination was held twice every three years.

Next year, only the qualifying examination would be held, not the child examination, and no xiucai would be admitted.

All examinations next year revolved around the provincial exam. Xiucai who passed the qualifying examination would gain the right to sit for the juren exam, and the qualifying exam also served incidentally to test the xiucai's academic progress.

Cai Maode had already served several years in this post; under normal circumstances, he would be transferred away by the end of next year — this position did not allow one to stay too long.

By the time Zhao Han took the xiucai exam the year after next, the Jiangxi Education Commissioner would already be someone else.

Zhao Han said, "This junior will certainly study diligently and swear to pass the xiucai examination."

Cai Maode cried out in his heart: I cannot wait that long!

He wanted to use the "discourse on ge-positions" to reinterpret Wang Yangming's "Discourse on Uprooting the Root to Block the Source," swearing to revive the transmitted renown of the Yangming School of Mind.

For this, Zhao Han had to be at least a xiucai; the ideas of a mere child student would be scorned.

Of course, Cai Maode could also be shameless, ignore the criticism of the Yanshan scholars, and claim the "discourse on ge-positions" as his own.

Cai Maode thought it over carefully and came up with a compromise. He asked, "Would you be willing to take me as your teacher?"

An Education Commissioner actively offering to take a disciple — what child student would not rush to become his pupil!

Zhao Han rose and bowed. "The Commissioner's kindness is deeply felt by this junior, but this junior already has a teacher."

Unwilling?

Refusing to his face?

Cai Maode was momentarily stunned, a flicker of anger rising in his heart. But his cultivation in the School of Mind was profound; he immediately suppressed the anger and tempted, "One need not take only a single teacher. When I leave this post next year, you could follow me to my new assignment."

Then it was even more out of the question to become his disciple!

I am a man who intends to rebel — am I to follow you around as you take up official posts everywhere? A sheer waste of my time!

Zhao Han bowed all the way down and remained silent.

"Ah, enough, enough," Cai Maode could only sigh, and at the same time a feeling welled up in him. "A man who can propose the theory of ge-wei is indeed no ordinary person. Whatever you do, do not follow the old path of Li Zhuowu."

Li Zhuowu was Li Zhi.

In the late Ming, deviating from orthodoxy was tolerated, but there had to be a limit.

The School of Principle also possessed a cosmology, and it originated in Daoist thought — namely, the Supreme Ultimate, yin and yang, and the five phases; that is, the one gives birth to the two, the two give birth to the three, and the three give birth to the ten thousand things. This was the foundation of the School of Principle.

Yet Li Zhi, in order to prove the equality of men and women, directly denied the existence of the Supreme Ultimate, and even refused to acknowledge the words of the Book of Changes — which was tantamount to ripping out the very roots of the School of Principle.

Li Zhi's most famous work was called A Book to Burn!

Not the physical book-burning of Qin Shi Huang, but rather he himself wanted to burn books in the realm of thought.

Even so, countless Confucian scholars still flocked to him, among them many famous literati — which shows just how desperately people wanted to break through the cage of old thinking.

A few decades ago, just how popular was Li Zhi?

Publishers everywhere, in order to make money, would often sign new books as works by Li Zhi, and they would sell out in a very short time. It was like a certain era when every novel was signed "Huang Yi" — Huang Yi's works could fill several walls.

Zhao Han said, "This student understands. Many thanks for the Education Commissioner's instruction."

Cai Maode spoke again: "Li Zhuowu deviated from orthodoxy, yet his works circulated freely and unimpeded. You, however, must be more on your guard, because the 'theory of ge-wei' is truly useful!"

What did he mean?

Li Zhi's pronouncements were so utterly absurd that the great Confucian scholars could not be bothered to criticize them.

To use an imperfect analogy: if someone claimed Newtonian mechanics was false, would physicists step forward to deny it? To a scholar of the School of Principle, saying the Supreme Ultimate does not exist is exactly like saying Newtonian mechanics is false!

But Zhao Han's proposal of the "theory of ge-wei" could be seen as Einstein proposing the "theory of relativity."

If it were to spread, the great Confucian scholars would explode!

Some great Confucian scholars might be overjoyed, and would actively embrace and refine the theory of ge-wei.

Some great Confucian scholars might fly into a thunderous rage, and would stop at no cost to attack Zhao Han.

"Since this student dared to speak, he is not afraid of being censured after speaking." Zhao Han wore a faint smile, utterly fearless.

Cai Maode smiled too, and laughed with great delight. "When the theory of ge-wei reaches Jiangnan, who knows what great storms it will stir up. The next Education Commissioner of Jiangxi, if he is a man of true scholarship, may promote you — or he may suppress you. Do you understand?"

"This student understands," Zhao Han said.

Cai Maode said, "Since you are unwilling to formally become my disciple, how about I bestow a courtesy name upon you? Han means 'vast.' Why not take the courtesy name 'Haoran'? Though it cannot protect you for a lifetime, it can protect your safety for a time."

If the Education Commissioner bestowed a courtesy name, then for the duration of his term, the Confucian scholars of Jiangxi would not lightly attack Zhao Han — to do so would be a slap in Cai Maode's face.

"When an elder bestows a gift, one dare not refuse. Many thanks for the Education Commissioner's cultivation."

Zhao Han cupped his hands in thanks, and then continued, "This student has also chosen a courtesy name for himself. When I go out into the world in the future, I may change it to that."

Cai Maode was a little annoyed, and a little curious. He asked, "What courtesy name did you choose for yourself?"

Zhao Han answered, "Zhuochen."

"Which zhuo? Which chen?" Cai Maode asked.

Zhao Han said, "The zhuo of 'When the Canglang's waters are clear, they can wash my hat-strings.' The chen of 'Do not push the great cart; only the dust, dark and dim.'"

Cai Maode was at first stunned, then burst into loud laughter. "Hahaha, the young are truly to be held in awe!"

His laughter over, Cai Maode stood up, straightened his robes, and bowed with perfect formality. "Since you have already established your heart and set your will, and this heart and will are both vast and arduous, you must be utterly unyielding in the face of a hundred setbacks."

"Though I face death nine times over, I will have no regrets," Zhao Han said.

Han means both "vast" and "to wash clean."

"Do Not Push the Great Cart" is a poem describing the hardships and suffering of laborers. The laborers push the great cart, and the dust blots out the sky and sun. The laborers cannot see the road ahead, cannot discern their direction, are beset by a hundred ills, and suffer misery all day long.

Zhuochen carries the meaning of washing away one's own filth and keeping the soul pure and noble.

Zhuochen also means sweeping away the grime and dust for the laborers, clearing away obstacles for the laborers, and guiding the direction for the laborers!

These laborers can also be understood as the scholars, the common people, and all the people under heaven.

"Zhao Zhuochen, Zhao Zhuochen," Cai Maode repeated twice, then waved his hand. "Go."

"This student takes his leave." Zhao Han cupped his hands and departed.

Cai Maode murmured to himself: Is this the will of a youth? The School of Principle? The School of Mind? The School of Practical Learning?

The mainstream scholarly trend of the late Ming was to criticize Zhu Xi and criticize Wang Yangming, to trace back to the true source and seek the Way of Confucius and Mencius. It advocated that Confucianism must not be divorced from reality, and promoted the idea that Confucianism must govern the state and benefit the people.

This was called the "School of Practical Learning."

Regardless of how it was carried out in practice, and regardless of their motives, the Donglin Faction held high the banner of the "School of Practical Learning."

However, the Donglin Faction had a complex composition of members.

Some abandoned the School of Principle to explore the true teachings of Confucius and Mencius.

Some revised the School of Principle, believing that Zhu Xi was correct, and that his teachings had merely been distorted by later generations.

Cai Maode was also a member of the Donglin Faction, and he was currently attempting to restore the School of Mind, believing that Wang Yangming was correct, and that his teachings had merely been misinterpreted by his disciples and their followers.

After Zhao Han left the room, Cai Maode picked up his writing brush, and drawing on the theory of ge-wei, prepared to write a major essay that would shake all the branches of the School of Mind!

(End of Chapter)