Chapter 215: Survival of the Fittest, Elimination of the Weak

Facing He Xinyin's statement, Zhu Yijun did not answer for a while, taking a sip of tea leisurely.

The propositions of the opposition party should naturally be different from the current path of the imperial court, otherwise, they would not be called the opposition party.

Just like Wang Shizhen's literary alliance, although they formed a society with articles, they also repeatedly advocated for restoration in politics, using poetry and songs to express dissatisfaction with the current system and social atmosphere, strongly reflecting the yearning of some scholars for the system of the Three Sovereigns and the prosperity of the Han and Tang dynasties.

And the Donglin Society, which was formed in advance by Gu Xiancheng under the promotion of several great Confucians like Qian Dehong and Xue Yingqi before their deaths, on the surface only discussed metaphysics and classics, perfecting Daoism, but in the private goods it carried, it still could not avoid putting forward propositions. They had already published demands for "remitting arrears and withdrawing eunuchs" in newspapers more than once, widely responding to the interests of the great families and wealthy county people in the world.

Others included the Jin merchant association representing the interests of northern merchants, the Fenggan Society and Baiyu Society representing the interests of the emerging handicraft groups in Wujiang, and so on.

The world has evolved to this day, the desire of scholars, workers, and merchants to participate in politics is increasing day by day, and various societies representing their respective demands have emerged one after another, forming the current political situation—with the development of productive forces, the Zhou system has experienced thousands of years of abandonment and has made a comeback with another face.

And as one of the leaders of the world's societies, He Xinyin, who proposed that friends communicate and that people in the world form their own "societies," attempted to shoulder the burden of the world's propertyless common people, responding to the demands of the poor commoners.

That is the "universal love" he proposed in "Benevolence and Righteousness" after abandoning "loving relatives and respecting the honorable," and the "equality" of the Three Bonds and Five Constants being teachers and friends to each other as mentioned in "On the Middle."

This is naturally a great progress.

This is also the reason why Zhu Yijun did not hesitate to praise He Xinyin's innate conscience.

But in practice...

Zhu Yijun thought of this and couldn't help but shake his head.

After a moment of cold silence, he finally cast his gaze on He Xinyin, speaking ambiguously: "Liang Zhugan, if I truly care about the common people, what will you do? If I am just as you said, still the same set of emperors, generals, and ministers, sincerely despising the commoners, what will you do?"

He Xinyin saw that the Emperor did not answer directly, only sighed, and requested again: "Your Majesty, this commoner does not want to do anything, nor can I do anything."

"This commoner is now sixty-three, the sun is setting, and I can't let go of things in my heart, just want to seek an answer."

Zhu Yijun still did not commit: "I have read your theory."

He Xinyin saw that the Emperor did not answer, his heart gradually sank, and now hearing the Emperor admit to having read his theory, his heart became even colder.

He lowered his head silently: "A generation of masters is in front, this commoner has made a fool of himself."

Once the classics are read to a certain level, it is difficult for the mind to be swayed by outsiders.

If the Emperor hadn't read his classics, it would be fine; he could still sell them to the Emperor.

But since the Emperor had already read them, he lost the room to preach.

He Xinyin could only sit and wait for the Emperor to express his intentions; besides that, there was nothing he could do.

Zhu Yijun reached out and signaled for He Xinyin to be seated: "I started reading from 'Original Learning and Original Lectures.' Regarding people, you discussed it very well."

He Xinyin sat back opposite the Emperor and listened intently.

Zhu Yijun turned the teapot around, let He Xinyin help himself, and continued: "You said that people are divided into innate and acquired. In terms of innate, appearance, hearing, and desires, they are no different from birds and beasts."

He Xinyin's evaluation in the streets could be said to be two extremes.

Supporters called him "the greatest of heroes," opponents called him "the great thief of human relations." From his theory, one could see a glimpse.

He Xinyin had nothing to avoid and admitted frankly: "Naked is its form, babbling is its sound, similar to the form category, similar to the sound category."

Zhu Yijun nodded and continued: "In terms of acquired, you wrote 'Original Human,' claiming that human is benevolence, the heart is placed in the world, the body is hidden in the family, and one must condense a human heart in the web of the big family and small family to be called a human."

"Or rather, a human is a moral human, a human is a social human, and the essence that distinguishes humans from birds and beasts is the sum of all ethical relationships."

He Xinyin sat like a wooden sculpture.

He looked up at the Emperor's young face, and a trace of amazement rose in his heart that he couldn't suppress.

In the cracks of the Emperor's words, the master's demeanor revealed was almost as dazzling as the sun.

It was a pity that there were still ignorant wastes in the streets who thought that there was really someone behind the Emperor to write for him; they should really see the Emperor in person.

Zhu Yijun continued in one breath: "On the basis of hiding the body in the family, you pushed it further, proposing that the small family is just a small world based on blood relationships."

"In order to establish virtue and become a human, it should be pushed further, practicing one's own Dao in the big family and the big world, which is gathering the so-called 'societies'."

"Scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants should all establish their 'societies,' and the imperial court is just one kind of 'society'."

"This discussion, although unconventional, feels extremely good when savored carefully. I often read it and find it new, and I can't put it down."

Like Li Zhi, He Xinyin also had the potential to become a saint.

He restrained himself during the Jiajing period, playing with some righteous halls in the clan, started playing with brotherhoods during the Longqing period, and during the Wanli period, he openly declared that he wanted to establish mutual aid societies—no wonder he died in prison historically.

He Xinyin couldn't see the Emperor's thoughts, but he was extremely sensitive to the word "unconventional," and his expression was displeased.

He looked straight at the Emperor's gaze and corrected: "This commoner has not deviated from the classics, nor has he rebelled against the Dao. What I wrote is the orthodox classics of Mencius and the Dao of the Confucian school since ancient times."

"The so-called 'society' is just pushing out the old and bringing forth the new with the words of the saints, and there is absolutely no thought of offending the imperial court's prestige."

This matter was truly sensitive.

He Xinyin could die, but he must not leave any handle here, otherwise, his life's work would probably be reduced to banned books.

Zhu Yijun smiled: "Things like borrowing the ancient to reform the system... Liang Zhugan, don't avoid it in front of me."

"History is cast by the people of the world, but it is not cast as one wishes, nor is it cast by choosing conditions as one wishes, but cast under the conditions that have been experienced, determined, and past."

"When creating new things, people are always panicked."

"To avoid panic, they have to invite the ghosts, borrow the thunderous names of the saints, and put on the clothes that the people of the world worship, in order to interpret new history."

He looked at He Xinyin, his smile undiminished: "Liang Zhugan doesn't open his heart to me, how can I answer your question?"

As soon as this was said, there was a long silence.

He Xinyin pressed hard on his thighs so that he could sit calmly.

At this moment, he could somewhat understand why the evaluation that the Emperor "has enough wisdom to reject remonstrance" was circulating inside and outside the court.

I don't know how much resentment of court officials was contained in it.

At this moment, He Xinyin truly felt the same.

In front of the Emperor, this master, any scene words, any affectation, were all self-inflicted humiliation.

It was truly like being stripped naked!

There was no word in the hall for a while.

I don't know how much time had passed.

He Xinyin finally ended a long and careful consideration, took a deep breath, and responded solemnly: "Your Majesty has fiery eyes, this commoner is indeed unconventional."

"Court officials are corrupt and decaying, harming the people, the common people are wailing everywhere, suffering to the extreme without appeal, the scene of the end of the world, almost unsavable."

"For thousands of years, it has always been like this."

"Families, clans, wealthy families, big clans, officials and gentry, you sing and I appear, eating until full while governing the country, only the commoners are reduced to fish and meat, wailing every day, never seeing the day of turning over."

"Recommendation is limited to families and not to the poor, the imperial examination recruits commoners but does not allow the poor to get rid of production. Now the 'society' I created can give every person in the world who wants to govern the country a chance. Isn't this progress that conforms to the long history?"

He Xinyin spoke righteously and brought it out.

What's wrong with forming a society? It is to form a society! What's wrong with forming a party? It is to form a party! What's wrong with gathering? It is to gather!

For thousands of years, the power to participate in politics and discuss government has been like water, flowing from top to bottom. Why can't it go a step further on the basis of the imperial examination and allow the poor to participate?

Zhu Yijun hummed softly and brought the words back: "So you wanted to see me, wanting to ask me how I view the demands of the billions of commoners you claim to shoulder."

Upon hearing this, He Xinyin nodded silently: "Your Majesty's philosophical thoughts surpass all previous generations, and you are willing to bind your own hands and feet in the inner court, so you must be different."

Zhu Yijun shook his head and laughed.

He Xinyin didn't understand.

After a while, the Emperor finally laughed enough.

He looked at He Xinyin and said disappointedly: "Liang Zhugan, this is the reason why you are bound to achieve nothing."

He Xinyin frowned, not understanding: "Your Majesty..."

Zhu Yijun raised his hand to interrupt him and said seriously: "Since you keep saying that emperors are all thieves and lone men."

"Since you say that the imperial court is unsavable, and the old system of thousands of years has reached the end of the world."

"Since I am the emperor of the old system, I am the emperor of the imperial court, and since the fat on the wailing common people is mostly used on me, Liang Zhugan..."

"Why can you trust the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, He Xinyin was stunned, and then caught off guard.

He opened his mouth to speak, then slowly closed it.

After a while, He Xinyin could only be silent.

Zhu Yijun leaned forward, staring at He Xinyin: "Disliking the old system, but not forming a system; having classics and theories, but no program; talking about commoners, but indulging in the scholar forest."

"You claim to be progressive, but you pin your hopes on me, the symbol of the old system."

"Liang Zhugan, you are no different from those Confucian scholars, empty talk about nature and principle, strong on the outside but weak on the inside!"

He looked at He Xinyin, only a fist's distance away, full of pressure.

And facing the Emperor's step-by-step pressure, He Xinyin's heart was churning, angry and mixed.

He tried to organize his words several times, but was defeated by the bloody facts.

The Emperor was right; if he didn't trust the Emperor, he shouldn't have pinned his hopes on the Emperor.

Just as he said before, what about Tang Xuanzong, what about the current Shizong, how can one pin hope on the Emperor's momentary goodness?

But what could he do!?

Did he not want to realize his vision and build his own world by his own ability and theory?

He didn't have world-shaking talent.

Nor did he have endless financial resources.

Nor did he have extra lifespan.

Sixty-three, besides hoping that the Emperor could revolutionize himself, what else could he do?

Endless powerlessness hit his heart; he had no time to distinguish whether the Emperor was humiliating himself or scolding him angrily.

He only felt that half a life of running around, various scenes, were passing before his eyes.

Forming societies, driving away Yan Song, traveling to lecture, inviting like-minded people... was it all rootless duckweed, self-entertainment?

Truly unwilling to quibble, He Xinyin muttered to himself like a groan: "A sour and incompetent person, what can be done."

As soon as the words came out, his nose felt sour.

He almost couldn't control his demeanor and lost his composure on the spot.

Just then, he heard the Emperor's voice sound again.

"Then you try to overthrow me."

He Xinyin's churning worries stopped abruptly.

The world suddenly became quiet.

Everything seemed to be drawn away.

The air began to suffocate.

The cold wind made people tremble.

Under the Emperor's shadow, it began to bare its fangs and brandish its claws, indescribable.

He Xinyin looked up in astonishment, staring blankly at the Emperor.

In the Wenhua Hall, looking at each other, only hot and anxious breathing remained.

"Since you claim to be progressive, then sweep me into the dustbin of history." Zhu Yijun looked at He Xinyin with a sincere face, without any teasing: "The imperial court is mine, the world is the world's. If you think the Zhu family's imperial court is not good, then you try to overthrow me."

He didn't call himself "Zhen" anymore.

He Xinyin looked at the Emperor's eyes getting closer and closer, subconsciously leaning back on the chair.

He tried to meet the Emperor's gaze, but subconsciously moved away.

His lips opened and closed several times, and he actually started to tremble.

He seemed to understand what the Emperor meant, and seemed not to understand.

His heart was churning, and he could only respond mechanically: "Your Majesty, this commoner absolutely has no intention of rebellion..."

"You are weak because you have no intention of rebellion!"

Zhu Yijun interrupted He Xinyin again.

He suddenly reached out a hand, pressed directly on He Xinyin's shoulder, forcing him to look at himself.

"Progress should wash away the backward, just like the imperial examination washes away filial piety."

"You don't even dare to rebel, where does the confidence to call yourself progressive come from!"

"Don't pin your hopes on me. I am a wise monarch now, but I may not be in the future. I am now, but the crown prince may not be. Since you claim to be progressive, then you come to overthrow the old system!"

He Xinyin's heart was struck by five thunders!

He only felt his heart being gripped, his breathing difficult.

He groaned and said in horror: "Your Majesty can even tolerate rebellion!?"

Zhu Yijun looked at the sixty-year-old man in front of him who seemed extremely immature in the torrent of the times.

He took a deep breath, his face cold and shook his head: "Why must I tolerate you?"

"You think the imperial court is unsavable, then you go and overthrow it. I think the Zhu family's Great Ming dynasty can still be saved, I still want to try again, why should I make way for you?"

"If you want to be the enemy of the imperial court, you must calmly accept the pursuit and interception of the imperial court; if you want to sweep me into the dustbin, you must bear my inhumane slaughter; if you want to create a new system, you must not be afraid of being shattered!"

"Use your progress to call on the commoners, use your theory to unite the scholars, use your 'society' to destroy my 'imperial court'!"

"If you don't even dare to do this, isn't your 'society' worse than the 'religion' of the White Lotus?"

Zhu Yijun slowly stood up, bent down, and approached He Xinyin who was almost stuck to the back of the chair: "Liang Zhugan, use facts to prove your Dao."

Clatter.

The teacup fell, the chair overturned.

He Xinyin retreated again and again, actually falling to the ground.

At this time, the Emperor's hands were supporting the tea table, and his leaning figure happened to cover He Xinyin's eyes, indescribable, like a ghost or a demon, making people shudder!

"Why are you bowing to the ground without saying a word."

Zhu Yijun was stunned, hurriedly walked around from the side of the desk, and reached out to help him thoughtfully.

As soon as he reached out, he noticed that He Xinyin was sweating profusely, his whole body as if fished out of water, wet through.

Zhu Yijun's eyelids jumped, thinking if he had used too much force.

Just as he hesitated whether to speak to comfort and ease the atmosphere.

He Xinyin barely straightened the chair and stood up slowly, supporting himself.

"This commoner has lost his composure."

Facing the Emperor's concerned expression, He Xinyin gritted his teeth: "Your Majesty's words, this commoner has learned."

One audience with the Emperor gave him a shock that could not be expressed in words.

The Emperor used a spirit that He Xinyin had never seen before to give him a good lesson.

He finally stopped struggling with the Emperor's true intentions, just said he had learned.

As for what he learned, I'm afraid it cannot be expressed in words.

Zhu Yijun sized up He Xinyin's complexion again and again, and seeing that there was indeed no major problem, he felt relieved: "Since this is the case, does Liang Zhugan have anything else to ask?"

He Xinyin shook his head silently: "I had it, but now I don't."

He relaxed, bowed and saluted: "This commoner requests to withdraw."

Zhu Yijun did not let him leave easily.

"Liang Zhugan has no questions, but I have something to discuss."

He Xinyin's movements paused, but the Emperor reached out and helped him.

The former looked up in confusion.

The latter said frankly: "According to your classics, people in the world who share the same aspirations can gather..."

"Liang Zhugan, I will form a society with you, how about it?"

As soon as the words fell, He Xinyin's body softened, almost falling again.

He took a cold breath: "Your Majesty just regarded this commoner's theory as unconventional and shouted to kill."

He Xinyin had seen the Shizong Emperor, had been dispatched by Xu Jie, and had debated classics with Zhang Juzheng; his experience could not be said to be not rich.

Only now, facing the Emperor, every word was like a fairy from heaven, every time exceeding his expectations.

Zhu Yijun shook his head calmly: "Wrong again, it is you who claimed that the Great Ming dynasty is decaying, so you naturally need to bear the counterattack of the imperial court, it is not that I want to kill you."

"Similarly, I feel that the imperial court can still be saved, so naturally I have to use all kinds of means, strictly reform, and now I am going to experience your crooked theories, see if there is anything to take, so as to be a monarch who keeps the achievements."

He Xinyin's expression was cloudy, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

A moment later, he squeezed a sentence out of his teeth: "Your Majesty, this commoner kills people and sets fires, not to become a Buddha on the spot."

Killing people and setting fires to be recruited, but He Xinyin had his own pride and didn't want to be Songjiang.

Zhu Yijun glanced at He Xinyin: "You have committed several crimes, you will definitely be stripped of your Juren status, and you still want to be an official? I'm afraid you see the imperial court as some kind of maggot mountain and dung sea."

The Emperor's tone was slightly disdainful, and his words were extremely impolite.

Suffering this humiliation, He Xinyin's face flushed red: "Then what does Your Majesty mean by forming a society?"

Zhu Yijun explained patiently: "You are the leader in the wild, widely sought after by the commoners, the scholar forest views you as an idol, there is no lack of your followers in the court, and I have to admit your status in the world."

"Just like you said just now, the commoners are wailing everywhere, suffering to the extreme..."

He paused and sighed: "I am thinking, can you, this commoner, occasionally enter the palace to see the Emperor, and report to me on behalf of those commoners."

"Similarly, I will make a three-chapter agreement with you."

"Only allow you to do it, without official status, and without official duties. You and I only have a relationship in the 'society'."

"Only allow you to speak, whether it is grievances among the people or specific appeals, whether to listen or not is my business, only for reference."

He Xinyin finally understood what the Emperor meant.

He thought the Emperor wanted to recruit him like he treated Li Zhi, but he didn't expect it to be this meaning.

If this is the case, he fell into thought...

Zhu Yijun saw He Xinyin didn't answer and spoke again: "Since you said, 'society' is formed by like-minded people."

"Now you and I are gathered under the banner of the commoners."

"Then at this time, even if I am pretending to seize power, Liang Zhugan will be willing to be my eyes and ears, and give the commoners a glimmer of life, is it or is it not?"

He Xinyin thought constantly, hesitating.

For this kind of thing, he instinctively rejected it.

He Xinyin didn't have no chance to be an official. He was the first in the provincial examination, the leader of a province, how could he not be a person with no hope in the imperial examination.

It was just that he had no heart for fame and gave up the Four Books and Five Classics.

Even now.

Don't look at his status as a mere Juren, relying on the voice he accumulated in the court and the wild, if he wanted to be an official, it would just be a nod, some people would recommend him—whether it was Xu Jie or Shen Shixing, they all swept the couch to welcome him.

But he was still a white body, calling himself a commoner, just because he was disgusted with this unsavable officialdom.

In this state of mind, letting him get entangled with the Emperor, he couldn't help but feel extremely resistant.

But then again...

And just as the Emperor said, even if the Emperor was pretending, he should hear about the current situation of the commoners.

Since it is beneficial to the commoners, how can he bear to refuse.

Moreover, taking a step back, forming a society with the Emperor is also more conducive to the spread of his theory.

No matter how you think about it, it is a matter of a hundred benefits and no harm to the great righteousness.

After hesitating for a long time, He Xinyin finally made up his mind.

He looked at the Emperor, nodded and saluted: "This commoner is willing to be a friend with Your Majesty, so that Your Majesty can realize what is universal love and what is equality."

When he said this, he already had the awareness of sacrificing himself to feed the tiger.

With this attitude, sooner or later, he would lose his head—even if the Emperor was generous, the people around the Emperor, and even the entire imperial court, would not tolerate him.

Zhu Yijun nodded calmly: "I will take the name of the society?"

He liked naming things the most.

He Xinyin naturally had no reason to refuse: "It is only right and proper for the initiator to take the name."

Zhu Yijun heard this, pondered constantly, and gently touched his chin.

A moment later.

He seemed to have a flash of inspiration, clapped his hands and laughed: "Call it the Joint Consultation Association for Governance, how about it?"

He Xinyin savored it a little and couldn't help but praise: "Good."

Zhu Yijun saw that the matter was done, so he turned and beckoned to the eunuch.

Then he turned back and said: "It just so happens that I have a matter here to discuss with the society friend."

He Xinyin was stunned, then looked at the Emperor vigilantly: "Please speak directly, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun took the case file handed over by the eunuch and handed it to He Xinyin with a sigh: "It is the matter of the Duke Yansheng's family invading land."

"It was already at the juncture of land measurement, but it was found that it reached the family of Confucius, which made me truly unable to ride a tiger."

"The family of the eternal saint, personally conferred by the imperial court to hold the bull's ear of the world's scholars, all the civil and military officials are students of the Confucius forest, I can't bear to bully the teacher and destroy the ancestors, and it also interferes with the harem, colluding with the powerful, and for a while, I can't find anyone who can break this matter."

"Instead, it is Comrade Liang, a scattered person in the wild who is famous, a commoner who shoulders great expectations, and has friends all over the world without any worries."

He looked at He Xinyin and said sincerely: "Comrade Liang dared to remonstrate against my imperial manor, so can you also be unfair to the Confucius family?"

After speaking, Zhu Yijun handed over Kong Chengde's confession and the document of He Xinyin being sent to Shen Li's command as a tax soldier.

Shouldering the great expectations of the commoners against the saint's family, how could the Emperor not support it?

Zhu Yijun smiled brightly and looked at He Xinyin quietly.

(End of chapter)

(End of this chapter)