Chapter 523: Restraining the Self and Restoring the Rites: Becoming the Son of Heaven of Zhou

One-tap audiobook.

"Restraining the self and restoring the rites, thereby achieving benevolence" — this is in fact one of the central ideas of Confucius, or of Confucian learning.

In "restraining the self and restoring the rites," the original meaning of "restrain" was likely "to abide by," while "self" was a loan character for "ji," as in the bonds of the cardinal principles and laws.

Taken together, the meaning of this line should be: abide by the cardinal principles and laws, and elevate one's own propriety.

Put in the language of later generations, it means: obey the law and discipline, diligently raise one's own moral cultivation, be a quality, civilized, positive citizen of a new era, and let all society strive together to build a harmonious society (benevolence).

See? Doesn't it fit?

Confucianism has influenced the Chinese for several thousand years — whether reviled, or adored, or viewed with clear eyes, it has already seeped into the blood of every Chinese person, and is everywhere.

Several thousand years ago Confucius said this, and people several thousand years later are still striving toward that goal.

As for the later interpretation of "restraining the self" as curbing the desires of the heart, and "restoring the rites" as reviving ritual teaching — that was clearly in service of the School of Principle.

In fact, in Zhang Zhao's view, when later generations criticized Confucius for wanting to restore the rites of Zhou, they had not fully grasped his spirit.

Or rather, in Confucius's time, apart from the rites of Zhou, he had no other point of reference.

From the perspective of later people, "rites" can better be interpreted as the order of civilization, and "benevolence" is what later generations commonly call a harmonious society.

The core focus of Confucianism is in fact order — an order that shapes a civilized society. It is not conservative, and it has nothing to do with devouring people.

Confucian learning is like the stick in the hand of the old man selling candied hawthorn; what it represents is the order of that candied hawthorn skewer.

The candied fruit on that stick does not have to be hawthorn — it can be orange, pear, apple, banana, Hami melon, even durian and mangosteen — but it cannot be grilled mutton skewers.

Just as with the Mohists, Legalists, Yin-Yang school, and the other Hundred Schools of Thought, the supremacy of Confucianism alone did not make them disappear entirely; rather, their modes of expression had to fit the order of Confucian learning and abide by its rules.

This was the first insight Zhang Zhao had distilled from more than twenty years of life experience in modern society in the first half of his life, and more than ten years after arriving in this era.

In truth, this mad era, in which order had been lost from top to bottom, was so similar to the Warring States period, when the realm fell into chaos after the Son of Heaven of Zhou lost all his prestige — only the military men were even more frenzied.

Zhang Zhao had discussed this question with Fan Zhi, He Ning, and Zhang Xichong.

Since the decline of the Great Tang, order throughout the realm has vanished completely, and every stratum of society has lost its "rites."

To solve these problems — yabing guards and yabing officers rebelling against their superiors at the slightest provocation, military men not knowing what law and order even mean — one can only begin with the rites.

The so-called seizure of military power and seizure of fiscal power can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause — and often cannot even treat the symptoms.

The lessons of Zhu Wen, Zhu Youzhen, Li Cunxu, Li Conghou, and Li Congke are right before our eyes.

Therefore, to truly take back the blades that the soldiers swing so recklessly, one must begin from both morality and the rule of law.

This is not Zhang Zhao trying to elevate the civil and belittle the military; rather, he wants to raise the banner of Confucius's "restraining the self and restoring the rites," and pretend to restore the rites of Zhou (order).

In reality, he would reverse the moral climate of the realm, and supplement it with law — only then could he thoroughly resolve the social ills since the late Tang: the low overthrowing the high, and contempt for civil culture and education.

As the fighting gradually subsided, Zhang Zhao, while handling the Khitan prisoners, also received and reassured An Shenqi, Fu Yanqing, Gao Xingzhou, and the others.

At the same time, he discussed this question with Zhang Xichong, He Ning, Fan Zhi, and the rest.

He Ning, who had personally written the memorial that persuaded Zhang Zhao to return from the front lines, was barely containing his excitement.

He could sense that Zhang Zhao was different from the new dynasties established by Li Siyuan and Shi Jingtang — and even far surpassed Zhu Wen and Li Cunxu.

Because Zhang Zhao differed from them in one great respect: he had a clearer understanding of the role of Confucian learning.

Nor did Zhang Zhao simply and brutally strip away military power to solve the problem as Zhu Wen and Li Cunxu had done; he solved the problem from its root.

He Ning now even truly believed that Zhang Zhao was indeed the reincarnation of Emperor Taizong Wen of the Great Tang, because only a heaven-sent enlightened sovereign could recognize the root of this problem.

At this thought, he cupped his hands and made a grand ceremonial bow to Zhang Zhao — yet his first suggestion was, unexpectedly, that Zhang Zhao change his royal title again.

"If the Great King has the resolve to resolve the chaos of these several hundred years, then he cannot use the title of King of Yong.

Yong is a small state. The character 'Yong' means a bird with bound feet, unable to ascend the blue sky — insufficient to serve as the title of a great dynasty."

The character "Yong," in the earliest oracle bone script, was a bird with a ring around its foot.

The Shuowen Jiezi says it was a bird called the yongqu, which is why He Ning said here that the character "Yong" represented a bound bird.

Zhang Zhao had in fact considered this question too — "Emperor So-and-so of Yong" really did not sound very good.

Moreover, looking at previous royal titles, "Yong" was rarely seen, clearly not a royal title with any good meaning.

"Then in the view of the Secretariat, if I were to advance further in royal rank, what title should I take?"

He Ning did not speak, but glanced at Zhang Xichong — this was a great merit of urging the throne, and he could not take all the words for himself.

Moreover, among the three, Zhang Xichong was in fact the most senior.

For Zhang Xichong could be said to be the first major Central Plains official to submit to Zhang Zhao; he had also served for several years as Right Chancellor of the Liang state, and he himself bore the surname Zhang, so Zhang Zhao had always treated him with the courtesy due an uncle — he could be said to be greatly respected.

"The Great King wishes to use the rites to dispel the violent and fierce spirit of these several hundred years — this exactly matches the words of the ancient sage: 'Restrain the self and restore the rites, thereby achieving benevolence.'

Now the great army has marched east from the lands of the Son of Heaven of Zhou to punish the cruel and tyrannical — this is like the Son of Heaven of Zhou raising a righteous army to campaign east.

The Zhang clan also descends from the Ji surname, of the same lineage as the Son of Heaven of Zhou, so continuing the title of Zhou is timely and proper.

Commander-in-Chief Yan also agrees with my opinion. Therefore we believe the Great King should advance to the title of King of Zhou, open a Tiance Office, and act in the stead of the Son of Heaven of Zhou.

Luoyang was the capital of the Son of Heaven of Zhou. The Great King may issue imperial edicts from Luoyang, commanding all the states of the realm to jointly exterminate the Khitan, ordering the rulers of each state to deliver troops, coin, and grain to the Central Plains, and further ordering all prefectures and counties of the realm to kill every Khitan."

"This..." Zhang Zhao hesitated. "Would all the states of the realm obey my edicts?"

What Zhang Xichong and the others wanted him to issue were imperial edicts, different from the previous calls to arms — this was setting himself up as the Son of Heaven of Zhou and treating all the states of the realm as vassals!

Zhang Xichong smiled faintly. "Perhaps one or two loyal and prudent ministers will come. The rest — Meng Shu, Wu Tang — will certainly not come.

But what the Great King wants is precisely this: to issue edicts in the name of the Son of Heaven of China. He does not care whether they actually come."

This was the double hegemony of geography and historical culture! One had to submit.

Now Henan was the Central Plains, and represented legitimacy. Whoever occupied this place was the Son of Heaven of China.

Guo Tiance, standing beside Zhang Zhao, interjected: "Your servant believes that Liu Zhiyuan in Taiyuan is certainly also watching the outcome of the Battle of Yanshi. If he learns that the Khitan army has been annihilated, he will very likely march east from Hedong to seize Hebei and snatch the moral high ground.

The Great King should, at this very moment, issue an edict in the name of the Son of Heaven of Zhou, commanding Liu Zhiyuan to march east and expel the Khitan, thereby stripping him of the moral high ground."

Oh? Guo Tiance's move was actually quite useful.

As things stood now, Zhang Zhao's troops had been in the field for more than six months, had just endured a bloody battle, and the soldiers and horses were exhausted.

If Liu Zhiyuan were at his side, he could press the victory and take it, but with Liu far away in Hedong, his reach fell short.

In any case, Liu Zhiyuan would surely march east to seize the lands of Hebei, so it would be better to simply order him to march east — thus seizing the moral high ground first — and then, once the Henan lands were settled, order Liu Zhiyuan to transfer his command.

Even under the Tang and Jin dynasties, no one had ever held both Hedong and Hebei at once.

When the time came, a single edict ordering Liu Zhiyuan to transfer to the post of Defender of Yedu — if he did not move, then there would be grounds to send a punitive expedition.

"But the Eastern and Western Zhou lasted eight hundred years and had a great many emperors. If I establish a state named Zhou, even the posthumous titles alone would be hard to settle!

Moreover, most of the civil and military officials in the realm come from Yong and Liang. To take Zhou as the dynastic name might wound the hearts of the soldiers and generals."

This was one of Zhang Zhao's small misgivings — for instance, he was quite satisfied with the posthumous title Wen, but there was already a King Wen of Zhou!

Fan Zhi shook his head and advised, "The Eastern and Western Zhou called themselves Sons of Heaven, not Emperors — it is no hindrance!

Great King, you may also set a rule: in this dynasty, the title King of Liang shall not be granted outside the imperial line, but only to the crown prince. Thus honoring Liang will surely satisfy the officers and men."

Zhang Zhao was thus reassured. Since a Confucian scholar like Fan Zhi said it was no hindrance, then it was no hindrance.

But by this point, Zhang Zhao began to feel — should he simply go one step further?

"Since all matters are settled, is calling ourselves the Son of Zhou not somewhat insufficient in authority?"

They were all grasshoppers on the same rope. Before his close ministers, Great King Zhang was not the least bit reserved!

Zhang Xichong said with a grave expression, "Great King, you have driven out the barbarian invaders, but the task is only half done. You must enter the eastern capital of Kaifeng, pass final judgment on Emperor Gaozu of Jin and Shi Chonggui, and issue edicts to recover the lands of Hebei — only then will it be complete.

Therefore it is more fitting to ascend to the imperial throne in the eastern capital of Kaifeng."

Guo Tiance also agreed: "The Right Yulin Guard and the others are still at the front. We cannot do without their endorsement."

Zhang Zhao thought it over and agreed. Li Cunhui and the others were still at the front; the merit of urging him to the throne ought to let them share in it too.

So with a satisfied wave of his hand — since that was the case, they would enter the eastern capital first.

In the year 945, on the fifteenth day of the tenth month, an auspicious day, Zhang Zhao made sacrifices in Luoyang to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi of the Great Tang, to Empress Wu Zhao of the Wu Zhou, to Emperor Zhuangzong Li Cunxu of the Later Tang, and to Emperor Mingzong Li Siyuan. He then assumed the title King of Zhou, conducted state affairs under the name of the Son of Zhou, and gathered all authority into the Tiance Office.

The next day, Zhang Zhao issued edicts throughout the realm to Meng Shu, Wu Tang, Qian Yue, Ma Chu, the Southern Han, the Southern Ping, and the two Military Governors of the Tonghai Army and the Jinghai Army.

He required them to send armored troops and provisions, and to raise armies to enter the Central Plains to rescue the sovereign.

He also ordered every prefecture and county to kill all the Khitans sent by Yelu De, and specially commanded Liu Zhiyuan, Prince of Beiping Commandery, Military Governor of Hedong, and Defender of Beijing, to raise troops and cut off the Khitans' route of return north, recovering the prefectures and counties of Hebei.

On the third day, Zhang Zhao issued another edict, requiring all under heaven to write on the topic "Restraining the self and restoring propriety constitutes benevolence."

All who believed they had original insights, no matter from which state, could draw travel funds through Zhang Zhao's temple money houses and enter the eastern capital to present their thoughts and views.

On the fourth day, Zhang Zhao issued one final edict, declaring that he would recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun.

Therefore he would hold a great selection of warriors throughout the realm, so that all martial men under heaven — those skilled in fist and foot, spear and staff, bow and horse — could come to the eastern capital of Kaifeng for examination. Those who passed could enter the newly established Left and Right Jinwu Guards and become imperial guards of the Son of Heaven.

On the twentieth of the tenth month, after issuing the edicts, Zhang Zhao departed Luoyang and set out for the eastern capital of Kaifeng.

Meanwhile in the south, upon receiving Zhang Zhao's edict, the aging King of Ma Chu, Ma Xifan, fearing the military might of the Southern Tang, wished to build good relations with Zhang Zhao. He therefore sent his elder brother Ma Xi'e north to pay court, bearing gold, jewels, precious jade, rare curios, and fifty armored soldiers.

The King of Wuyue, Qian Zuo, had also fallen into conflict with Wu Tang over the Min kingdom, and having always submitted to the Central Plains dynasties, likewise sent envoys with tribute, deliberately traveling north through Wu Tang territory to pay court.

Related novels: