Chapter 112: The Daoist School of Nourishing Life Also Has Something to Say

Inside Qianqing Palace, a wisp of pale smoke rose from the incense burner, carrying a calming scent of sandalwood.

Zhu Youjian let out a long, deep breath and slumped his whole body into the broad dragon throne; the tension that had gripped him for days finally found a moment of release.

The verbal sparring at the Daily Lecture, which had seemed like a spur-of-the-moment impulse, was in fact the result of days of careful planning.

From the very moment Huang Liji proposed resuming the Daily Lecture, a bold scheme had been quietly taking shape in his mind.

Over these seven days, aside from reviewing memorials and inspecting the Valiant Guard Camp, he had spent nearly all his time studying the Confucian classics.

Of course, this so-called study was entirely utilitarian.

After all, he only needed to find an entry point, a question to pose — he had no real intention of relying on these Confucian classics to govern the realm.

Coming from a later age, he naturally possessed his own art of dragon-slaying.

What exactly had he been doing these past few days?

First, he had dissected and deconstructed the core arguments of the Cheng-Zhu school and the School of Mind.

Sheet after sheet of mind maps drawn with a brush laid out with perfect clarity the origins, core concepts, and even the evolution of thought among the great Confucian masters across the ages for both the School of Principle and the School of Mind.

(Pretend there's a picture here — give me seven days and I really could draw it; my learning speed is insane. Too bad I don't have seven days…)

That alone was not enough.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Whether you can win depends not only on your own strength, but also on your opponent's weakness.

He had Gao Shiming and the Directorate of Ceremonial gather the personal dossiers of all thirty-odd men in the Hanlin Academy and the three in the Grand Secretariat, then compiled their published writings and traced their scholarly lineages.

And at last he confirmed it — the mountain has no tigers, hahahaha!

Huang Daozhou and Liu Zongzhou, the two Confucian masters he knew from later history, were not here.

Feng Congwu and Sun Shenxing — men he had not known before but who were indisputably the top Confucian scholars of this age — were not here either!

This was the fundamental reason he had dared to launch this small-scale offensive!

After all, he had no desire to truly bog himself down in a quagmire of pure classical exegesis — that was not what an emperor ought to do.

What he wanted was to "question," not to "debate."

Zhu Youjian lifted the teacup from the imperial desk; the warm tea slid down his throat, dispelling some of his fatigue.

He raised his eyes to Gao Shiming, who stood quietly in attendance to the side. The seal-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial had simply watched in silence the entire time, as if he stood apart from it all.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhu Youjian's mind, half a test and half mischievous amusement.

"Companion Gao," he set down the teacup, a trace of laughter in his voice, "that question We posed at the Daily Lecture — what do you make of it?"

"Why did Zhu Xi grasp at principle, and Wang Yangming grasp at mind?"

Gao Shiming bowed slightly, his face wearing its usual placid smile.

"This subject is not versed in Confucian learning and dares not speak recklessly of the great Way of the sages."

"However, this subject has gleaned some modest insights from the Daoist tradition of nourishing life. Permit me to attempt, in Daoist terms, to resolve Your Majesty's perplexity — perhaps one may comprehend by analogy."

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian was instantly intrigued. "Daoism? Now that is interesting. Speak, let Us hear it. We are all ears."

In his shallow understanding, Daoism was nothing more than the Taiji giving rise to the two modes, the harmonizing of yin and yang — what possible connection could that have with the Confucian debate between principle and mind?

Gao Shiming began slowly:

"The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states: 'Model yourself on yin and yang, harmonize with the arts and numbers.' It means that to regulate body and mind, one must follow the natural principles of heaven and earth — supplement what is deficient, drain what is excessive, and never lean to one side."

"Your Majesty, please observe," he extended one hand and made a grasping motion in the air. "Take, for example, a man whose constitution is weak and fears the cold — he must be treated with warming, tonic herbs. Another man, with internal fire and dry heat, must be treated with cooling, clearing formulas. The prescription itself has no absolute good or bad; that which matches the ailment is the good prescription."

Zhu Youjian listened quietly, his gaze focused. He was beginning to grasp Gao Shiming's meaning, but did not interrupt.

Gao Shiming continued: "When the Cheng-Zhu school grasps at principle, it takes the external world of heaven and earth as its standard, seeking a 'rule' that applies universally to all under heaven. This is like erecting a tall tower and drawing a detailed map for a lost traveler, giving them a path to follow and a law to rely on. This is 'from the outside inward' — using the principle of heaven and earth to clarify the original mind."

"When the Lu-Wang school grasps at mind, it seeks to go from the inside outward, believing that 'the mind is principle.' This is like a man trapped deep in a quagmire, his limbs powerless, on the verge of despair. At such a moment, giving him the clearest map is useless; only by rousing the will to survive within his own mind, letting him generate strength from within, can he break free of his bonds. This is 'from the inside outward' — using the power of the original mind to resonate with heaven and earth."

At this point, Gao Shiming smiled faintly and looked toward Zhu Youjian.

"Thus, if you preach the Lu-Wang School of Mind to a lost man and tell him to seek enlightenment on his own, he will likely only grow more bewildered. If you preach Cheng-Zhu School of Principle to a man in a quagmire and tell him to abide by the rules, he will only feel more despair. There is no greater case of 'heading south while the chariot points north' than this."

Gao Shiming bowed deeply, his voice clear and resonant.

"Therefore, in this subject's view, there is in truth no superiority or inferiority between Cheng-Zhu and Lu-Wang, nor any absolute right or wrong."

"The crux of the matter is that those who govern must see clearly: in the realm today, are there more who are 'lost,' or more who are 'trapped deep in the quagmire'? Should we establish rules to rectify men's hearts, or should we rouse their will so they may seek self-strengthening?"

"Taking it a step further — what portion is lost, and what portion is mired in the quagmire?"

"Scholars seek truth, and so they debate endlessly, wishing to exhaust the principles of the world."

"An emperor seeks utility, and so he must act according to the times, selecting what is good and applying it."

"Governing a realm is like harmonizing yin and yang — act in accord with the season, move with the momentum. The words of the sages were likewise spoken in response to their times; times change and circumstances shift. To cling to a single saying and attempt to encompass all under heaven is no different from carving a notch on the boat to find a fallen sword. Does Your Majesty concur?"

"Brilliant!" Zhu Youjian could not help but clap in admiration. "Well said — scholars seek truth, emperors seek utility!"

Gao Shiming, however, smiled and shook his head, retreating to his original position. "Your Majesty flatters me. Daoist teachings, after all, lean toward renunciation of the world, advocating going with the flow and governing by non-action — ultimately they are not the learning by which to order the age. This subject is merely parroting others' words to amuse Your Majesty."

Zhu Youjian fell silent for a moment, but his mind was churning with thoughts.

He was genuinely stunned.

Guessing his intent was no great difficulty.

But Gao Shiming's words, starting from a Daoist foundation, had — even if not perfectly precise on the question of "principle versus mind" — nonetheless articulated a coherent argument of his own.

Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism — each has shone brilliantly through Chinese history and endured for millennia; it seemed each indeed possessed its own exquisite profundities.

Yet now, even a eunuch who took Daoism as his foundational scripture could offer such an incisive insight.

In that case, what kind of answer would be submitted by those civil officials in the Hanlin Academy, with all their divergent factions and differing stances?

At this thought, the corner of Zhu Youjian's mouth curved into a meaningful smile.

Interesting! A little chaos is fine — so long as the chaos is here and now, and not in Jiangnan, then everything remains manageable.

He pondered for a moment, then instructed Gao Shiming: "Here is what you shall do — transmit Our decree. Regarding the question We posed today, let all officials of the Hanlin Academy answer it together, each writing their views into a booklet for submission."

"Furthermore, for the Daily Lecture three days hence, the entire Hanlin Academy shall attend."

Gao Shiming, hearing this, immediately cautioned, "Your Majesty, if that is the case, the original passage hall will likely not accommodate them all."

Zhu Youjian nodded.

"Then move it to Wenhua Hall."

He paused, then added one more line.

"Furthermore, the edict must make this clear —"

"Though the number of attendees this time is large, it remains the Daily Lecture, not the Classics Colloquium."

Gao Shiming understood at once, clasped his hands, and accepted the order.

The Daily Lecture is a question-and-answer between sovereign and ministers, leaning slightly toward household matters.

The Classics Colloquium is a grand court ceremony, and thus a matter of state.

This young sovereign truly governs a great state as one would cook a small fish.

And that saying, come to think of it, is a Daoist maxim as well.