Chapter 58

With this impeachment by Ma Ziqiang, the court officials understood immediately what it was referring to.

Most court officials now would have their servants buy the new newspaper as soon as possible.

Naturally, they had also read this morning's paper, and it was hard not to keep that so-called learning experience in mind.

With Ma Ziqiang taking the lead this time, most court officials secretly applauded in their hearts.

At that time, when the Emperor made a new newspaper, they only thought it was a small fuss, making a plain-language version of the court gazette so that he could speak louder.

Who knew it would become more and more excessive, actually having signs of snatching the power of interpreting the classics!

If imperial power and the power of interpreting the classics merged, wouldn't it become a kingdom of God on earth?

And he dares to conclude what is correct? Isn't this just wanting to snatch the power of the referee!

Even out of the instinct of a scholar-official, they felt it was absolutely impossible!

The Tongzheng He Yongqing quickly knelt and pleaded guilty: "I am guilty, I ask to retire!"

Don't think he wants to stay in this position.

It is really because Gao Gong forcibly left him to the Emperor, and the Emperor insisted on not letting him go.

Previously, the Tongzheng Office was monopolized by Song Zhihan, and he basically didn't have to do anything, just occupying a pit, happy to be idle.

Who knew that after the Earl of Ding'an left, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse!

Look at now, he has only taken over the Tongzheng Office for four months, and has been impeached more than ten times in succession!

He had long since not wanted to do it!

Unfortunately, it is unrealistic for He Yongqing to want to run away; Zhu Yijun hasn't found a suitable person yet and doesn't want him to leave for the time being.

Zhu Yijun heard the question and answer between the two, and hurriedly stepped forward to pull the partial frame: "Minister Ma, don't say things that are unfavorable to the court situation casually. Why not submit a memorial afterwards and write out the details?"

Still confusing the public with evil words, who are you being sarcastic with here?

Ma Ziqiang held his breath in his chest.

He said dully: "Your Majesty, the memorial I submitted for impeachment last time was kept by Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand: "That was kept by my mother, the Empress Dowager; one yard is one yard. You can submit your memorial with peace of mind, and I will study it carefully and comfort the two palaces."

At this time, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Fu Yi also stepped out and said: "Your Majesty, He Tongzheng published Your Majesty's words at the Classics Mat to the world, which I am afraid has the suspicion of peeking into the holy heart, which is indeed inappropriate."

As soon as the words fell, the Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Li Youzi also stepped out and bowed with his tablet: "Your Majesty, today's Classics Mat has not yet opened, and there are already so-called insights of His Majesty spread throughout the world. Do you think this is acceptable?"

Zhu Yijun scanned the officials in the court.

Several Grand Secretaries were expressionless, and the Ministers of the Six Ministries said nothing, making it impossible to tell which of them had opinions on this matter.

He naturally knew that his recent actions had aroused the dissatisfaction of many people.

From Gu Huan taking charge of the Capital Battalion, to Hai Rui returning to the capital, and then the rumors yesterday that he was going to move the salt administration of the two Huai regions.

Today's trouble for the morning newspaper is probably the dissatisfaction accumulated from several things, which have merged.

He was not in a hurry to speak, but watched coldly from the sidelines.

Now that the court officials are using He Yongqing to talk about things, he cannot enter the arena himself.

Sure enough, the Supervising Hai Yushi Li Zaiting realized the holy heart and immediately stepped out: "I also think that what Minister Li said is steady and prudent."

He saluted toward the imperial steps and said: "Your Majesty, I have a proposal, please order He Tongzheng to be sure to wait until the Classics Mat is over before publishing Your Majesty's words, so that it can show the rules."

Zhu Yijun smiled slightly.

Although he couldn't let Li Zaiting serve in the inner court, he was still very handy in the court deliberation.

As soon as the words fell, Ma Ziqiang was about to argue again.

The Hai Yushi-in-Chief Ge Shouli also stepped out and said: "Ministers, is it that He Tongzheng should not publish His Majesty's words, or is it that His Majesty's words are wrong and should not be published?"

This was a bit of a heart-stabbing remark.

As a person left behind by Gao Gong, Ge Shouli had already become a die-hard supporter of the Emperor—he was extremely grateful for the honor he enjoyed after Gao Gong's defeat.

Not to mention that after contacting him during this period, he only felt that this Emperor was not inferior to that Duke of Xinzheng at all!

Ma Ziqiang would not be fooled, so he grabbed one point tightly: "Naturally, it is not that His Majesty's words are inappropriate, but that He Tongzheng should not peek into the holy heart!"

Although he knew what the situation was, he couldn't show his feet when speaking.

Li Zaiting said neither yin nor yang: "If this is the case, then all the Secretariat Drafters should be convicted."

The two sides were evenly matched for a time, deadlocked.

After the officials argued for a while, Zhu Yijun raised his hand to stop the dispute, his expression gentle: "Ministers, may I say a word?"

After the noise stopped, he looked at Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi and asked slowly: "Since we are talking about this today, why don't the two teachers discuss it as a Classics Mat first, and then have the court deliberation?"

The two knew some inside information and nodded silently.

The former watched the Emperor's performance for the sake of one million taels.

The latter looked at his own disciple with gratification, waiting for him to talk eloquently.

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang and said kindly: "Minister Ma, Ge Minister asked well just now, and I also want to ask, do you think my words are wrong, or should my words not be published to the world?"

Ma Ziqiang insisted on his previous point: "Your Majesty, it is He Tongzheng..."

Zhu Yijun interrupted him.

He said bluntly: "This matter, I asked He Tongzheng to publish it."

As soon as this was said, Ma Ziqiang was stunned, and didn't think of the follow-up for a while.

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang with great interest, not panicking at all in his heart.

Academic disputes are not so fatal at this time.

After Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were in charge of the Cabinet, both of them strongly rejected the Learning of the Mind, advocating that instead of being superstitious all day, it is better to do some practical things.

The Learning of the Mind has no face, let alone the Learning of Principle.

The big shots above have this idea, so the people promoted also have these characteristics to some extent.

Therefore, these Vice Ministers and Junior Vice Ministers like Ma Ziqiang are in the minority.

Not to mention that there are people who want to find fault with the two Huai regions and the Capital Battalion.

These mobs really can't force him to bow his head.

Seeing Ma Ziqiang stammering and unable to speak, Zhu Yijun didn't make him embarrassed, but took the initiative to continue: "Minister Ma, I know what you are worried about. I have no intention of setting a standard for the schools of the world."

Some things need to be straightforward; if they are hidden in the clouds and mist, they are easily misinterpreted. As for whether they believe it or not, it has nothing to do with him.

"When I was young, I read Qu Yuan's 'Heavenly Questions' and felt a resonance in my heart."

"'At the beginning of the ancient times, who passed it down? The upper and lower forms were not yet formed, how can one examine it?'"

"The universe, the self, how can one not be curious?"

"Minister Ma, do you have doubts?"

Ma Ziqiang remained silent.

Zhu Yijun let him go and looked at the Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Li Youzi: "Minister Li, do you have doubts?"

Li Youzi sighed: "Your Majesty, I also have doubts."

Zhu Yijun nodded and didn't ask everyone one by one.

He seemed to be feeling emotional, seemed to be expressing his feelings: "The teacher is the one who passes on the way, teaches the profession, and clears up doubts."

"I originally thought that after I opened the Classics Mat, all the learned scholars would be able to clear up the doubts in my heart."

"But when I first opened the Classics Mat, several teachers argued endlessly, and I felt that everyone's words made sense, and I didn't know what to follow."

"This only shows that my intelligence is insufficient to distinguish."

"After I returned to the palace, I became more and more depressed."

"I thought about government affairs again, for example, one person impeaches, one person defends, my intelligence is insufficient, what should I follow?"

"For example, in the sixth month, a white rainbow pierced the sun; some Supervising Censors submitted memorials saying this was a sign of my lack of virtue, and some Censors said this was a heaven-sent auspicious omen. What should I believe?"

"In addition to various things, such as local situations, the status of the people, and everyone's opinions are different, what should I do?"

A few words from the bottom of his heart made people speechless.

The officials bowed and pleaded guilty one after another.

Zhu Yijun supported the officials and shook his head: "This is my lack of talent and virtue, how can it be the fault of you, the backbone ministers?"

"Therefore, I had no choice but to learn from the Ministry of Justice's way of judging cases and set up a set of rules in my own heart."

"That is the so-called 'evidence first in all things'."

"Just like this theory of good and evil, it is not that I want to set a standard for the schools, but just happened to encounter the opportunity and found clear evidence, so I was willing to follow what Minister Tao said from the bottom of my heart."

Tao Dalin insisted at the Classics Mat that nature has no good or evil and is formed after birth.

Zhu Yijun looked at Tao Dalin and nodded slightly.

Tao Dalin was still bowing his head and pleading guilty, his head buried very low, motionless.

This matter is very complicated, at least involving the internal disputes of the Learning of the Mind, and to put it bigger, it also involves the dispute between the Learning of the Mind and the Learning of Principle.

Even bigger, it involves the dispute over the origins of the various schools of thought.

Even bigger, it involves the Emperor wanting to snatch the power of interpreting the classics.

At least in Ma Ziqiang's view, the position of the referee of classical learning must not be left to the Emperor.

He said dully: "Your Majesty, 'clear evidence' may not necessarily be 'clear evidence'."

In the criminal section, there is a saying about false evidence.

Then whether it is clear evidence or false evidence, isn't it all up to the Emperor's mouth?

To put it bluntly, isn't it just snatching the power of interpreting the classics?

Zhu Yijun smiled in his heart when he heard this. Finally, Ma Ziqiang finally fell into his rhythm of speech.

What he wants to argue about is naturally not the orthodoxy of classical learning, nor does he want to be this referee, let alone the rest of the messy Sage-King unity and official learning orthodoxy.

These feudal classical learnings can be used as resources, but they must never be used as a foundation.

He wants to start a new stove! What Zhu Yijun wants is actually something on the surface—clear evidence.

The ancients had many claims; broadly speaking, there are things like heaven-man induction, gods, demons, and Buddhas.

Focusing on the side, there are also things like feng shui, luck, and astrology.

Some claim that thunder is the anger of gods.

Some claim that rainbows are heaven-sent auspicious omens.

Some claim that diseases are some kind of evil spirits.

Then the question is, are these true? Most people will choose to believe.

This kind of belief without basis is called superstition.

Since ancient times, it has been like this.

Now, he has proposed the so-called "clear evidence," which is to set off a trend of thought—the causal relationship of claimed things needs evidence, which is the so-called "clear evidence."

But this is not enough.

Causal relationships can be direct or indirect, and clear evidence can be clear and true, or false and vague.

Furthermore, how to determine whether "clear evidence" is "clear evidence"?

Then we must establish a unified method for verifying causal relationships!

This is what Zhu Yijun wants.

At the same time, it is also the path that every civilization must take—the germination of natural philosophy and scientific thinking systems.

This questioning by Ma Ziqiang is very good.

Why do you say clear evidence is clear evidence? Is it because you are the Emperor?

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang with appreciation and said: "Minister Ma, how to judge whether clear evidence is clear evidence should also have a method."

"But my talent is not as good as the average person, and I can't think of it."

"Therefore, I still have to rely on all the learned scholars."

This is giving up the power of the referee to let these people rest assured.

As for who will be the referee?

Everyone cannot be a referee, or rather, everyone is a referee, which is what Zhu Yijun wants.

He stopped the officials who wanted to interrupt and continued: "A few days ago, the high monks of the Daoist sect donated some silver, and I don't intend to use it for pleasure, so I thought about building an academy specifically to clear up these doubts."

"What do you think, ministers?"

Mathematics and philosophy are both the work of a hundred years, and he doesn't expect results now.

But the layout must start now.

Technology is technology, and science is science; without a complete set of corresponding natural philosophy systems, it is futile for him to climb more technology trees.

It's just another Westernization Movement, nothing more.

Conversely, if it can promote the germination of natural philosophy, it can combine the wisdom of the world, and there will be a continuous stream of knowledge emerging.

From astronomy, mathematics, physics, etc., it can be said to be four ounces to move a thousand pounds.

As for whether this will shake his position?

If natural philosophy can also be taken like an aphrodisiac, taking three steps in two, and completing modernization within a hundred years, then he would not be stingy with "nothing to do today."

What's more, who says that imperial rule cannot keep pace with the times?

As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the several people who had just come forward to impeach He Yongqing were already looking at each other.

They couldn't grasp the pulse of the Emperor's actions at all.

The Hai Yushi Yang Yigui, who was patrolling Guangdong, couldn't help but probe: "Your Majesty, is there a candidate for this mountain chief?"

If the Emperor intends to appoint this mountain chief, wouldn't it be taking off his pants to fart?

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and smiled: "Then let Minister Ma of the Ministry of Rites take the post!"

The method of verifying causality must be objective, and it doesn't matter who is the mountain chief.

Ah?

Ma Ziqiang raised his head in astonishment.

He had been completely confused by the Emperor's move.

He didn't immediately take the errand, but fell into deep thought.

What exactly does the Emperor want to do?

Previously, he had various guesses, including snatching the power of interpreting the classics and the unity of politics and religion.

It also included provoking disputes among various schools of learning and fishing in troubled waters.

So much so that he even thought the Emperor wanted to open a sect and become a Sage-Emperor.

But now, the Emperor threw out the power to judge "clear evidence," wanted to open an academy, and even threw the mountain chief to himself, who had just opposed the Emperor.

What exactly is the path?

It can't really be a child's temperament, wanting to use it to clear up doubts, right?

Ma Ziqiang pondered for a long time before saying: "Your Majesty, not everything has clear evidence."

"Confucius taught the world how to cultivate oneself and how to nurture virtue. Do these things need clear evidence?"

The theory of good and evil gave the Emperor an example, but it doesn't mean everything can be like this.

Just like the speculation of the Learning of the Mind, it is all completed in one's own heart; where is the need for clear evidence?

Regardless of the Emperor's purpose, he subconsciously felt it was inappropriate and wanted to block it back.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yijun nodded and recognized this statement.

He understood this better than Ma Ziqiang.

Natural philosophy can only manage the scope of nature; the rest of sociology, epistemology, and ontology may not necessarily have causality or clear evidence, and are more completed by speculation.

It can only be said that Ma Ziqiang's wisdom is really not bad, and he can immediately cut into the key point.

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang, his expression serious, and said earnestly: "Minister Ma is right, I have also thought about this matter."

"Therefore, my meaning is..."

"What should be belongs to the Sage, and what is belongs to me."