Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

When Wei Liangchen said these words, the Jiangxi scholars hesitated.

Some people are worried about being traced to their own families, but most of them are afraid of offending the wealthy families in their hometown.

The large families in Jiangxi have their own clan schools, generally called "library". It was mainly used to educate children of the same clan, and occasionally students of different surnames were allowed to enroll.

Only those schools that open to external enrollment and reach a certain scale are called "academies."

Therefore, among the three or four thousand scholars in front of them, except for the children of the Hu family, most of the students are not from Jiangxi's rich families. Their family origins are mainly children of small and medium-sized families and merchants - of course, there are also children of wealthy families from other provinces.

As for the children of Jiangxi's rich families, they can study directly in their own libraries. Only when they encounter bottlenecks will they come to Hualin Academy for further study.

Wei Liangchen said loudly: "You don't have to decide now. I will stay at the foot of Hualin Mountain for two days. You go back to the academy and think about it carefully. If you are willing to help the court acquire land, go to the place where I stay to register. Let's be dismissed."

The scholars bowed one after another and said goodbye to the governor.

Yin Yan, a teacher at Hualin Academy, witnessed Wei Liangchen's operation throughout the process.

Without saying a word, he silently returned to the academy.

Among the four major disciples of the Cheng Sect, Yin Yan has the worst qualifications.

Junior brother Zhang Yi can recite and understand the knowledge in one day, but Yin Yan needs to study for ten days, twenty days, or even recite and understand it repeatedly for a month.

He usually doesn't talk much, and even when he communicates with his wife, he can't come up with anything.

However, he founded the Hejing School!

The core of this sect is one word: respect.

If you have to elaborate in detail, you must be sincere, dedicated, self-cultivation, and have a reverence for all things in the world.

Yin Yan believes that whether you are studying or serving, you must first learn how to be a good person, and you must be a good person with a clear conscience.

Historically, Yin Zhen did what he said.

Zhong Shidao recommended him to be an official, but Yin Yan did not accept it.

Liu Yuli hired him as an official of the puppet Qi Dynasty, and Yin Zhen fled directly to the south.

Zhao Gou appointed him as an official, and Yin Yin happily went there and became the prince's young master. However, because he opposed the peace negotiation, Qin Hui stopped the memorial, and Yin Yin was so angry that he repeatedly resigned. Zhao Gou ordered him to stay, but Yin Yan took the opportunity to go to the court to report something, and started madly criticizing Qin Hui. As a result, he was demoted and then retired (retirement benefits were sharply reduced).

"In time, this person will become the prime minister and assistant." Academy teacher Yao Zhongkuan said.

Yin Yin commented: "It is easy to break if it is strong."

Yao Zhongkuan was a famous teacher hired from Huainan. He lowered his voice and gloated: "The big families in Jiangxi are too tyrannical, and the land spans prefectures and counties, and the local government cannot control it. In the former Song Dynasty, they would only split the clans, but in the Ming Dynasty, they still had to expand their land. Nowadays, This is the emperor, how can he tolerate a country within a country?"

Yin Yan didn't answer.

He is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the "Yimen" operating model.

The advantage is that it can resist corrupt officials and natural and man-made disasters. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to manage the government and it is necessary to avoid corvee and taxes.

In times of division and chaos, advantages can play a leading role.

In a unified dynasty, shortcomings will be highlighted.

Yin Yan didn't know how to evaluate "Yimen". He both admired and disliked it.

The Hu family of Hualin is better off. The tribe members have relative freedom and can choose to move to other places and settle down.

Therefore, although the Hu family has developed for more than 700 years, the number of original tribesmen is far less than that of the Chen family.

The Chen family in Jiangzhou went too far. Without external force, the clan members were basically not allowed to move away.

And if they stay in their place of origin, they will not be allowed to split up. All family members must obey family arrangements.

Not to mention the income from business, even official salaries must be handed over to the family - officials who live away from home for a long time can keep enough money for their own use, but they must bring back part of the funds regularly.

It would be terrible if the money and food were returned to the public.

The Chen family in Jiangzhou had enough money to take advantage of the disaster years to carry out mergers and expand rapidly in the local area.

Yin Yan was very lucky that he was not born in the Chen family in Jiangzhou.

As one of them, the family will drive them crazy!

The shortcomings of Chen's business model will undoubtedly be revealed in the long run. The children of the family gradually lost their ambition, and many chose to live and die. Many people took part in the imperial examination every year, but in the past hundred years, there were fewer and fewer Jinshi.

Depressed!

On the contrary, there are the descendants of the Chen family who were demolished and moved away by the imperial court. There are many heroes and celebrities. The comparison between the two is extremely ironic.

Yin Yan suddenly said: "Flowing water will not rot, and door hinges will not be beetrooted. This time the imperial court is dismantling the clan, it is not a bad thing for the Chen family in Jiangzhou."

Yao Zhongkuan was startled and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Yin Yan explained: "In the past few decades, has the Chen family in Jiangzhou ever had a great Confucian scholar? There are not even real celebrities. I have communicated with the so-called celebrities in the Chen family, and all of them are dull and outdated, and they have no sense of their own. It’s a good idea. Their family tradition is too upright. If they go beyond the rules from childhood, they will be severely punished by their elders. No matter how much they read, they are just a yes-man.”

"That's it, I've learned a lesson!" Yao Zhongkuan bowed quickly, he understood a lot of things.

Although Yin Yan has dull qualifications, he usually doesn't talk much.

But he is a true Confucian scholar after all. As long as it is a topic related to life and scholarship, Yin Yan can talk endlessly.

"Sir!" A scholar in his twenties rushed over.

This man's name is Zhang Liangyou, and he is the posthumous son of the great scholar Zhang Yi.

Although Zhang Yi was Yin Zhen's junior brother, after Cheng Yi's death, the senior brother had to ask his junior brother for advice.

It can even be said that Zhang Yi, as his junior brother, is actually half of Yin Zhen's teacher.

It is a pity that Zhang Yi died of illness in his prime, otherwise he would have become a great scholar of his generation.

Zhang Yi organized the academic works of the two Cheng brothers, and he represented the orthodoxy of Chengmen.

If Zhang Yi were still alive, Zhu Ming would most likely order him to be recruited.

Zhang Yi was an absolute grassroots person, not even a small landlord.

He had no chance to study since he was a child, so he went to the city (Luoyang) to work and support his family, and he learned some words by osmosis.

When he was a bartender in a restaurant, he often heard scholars reciting poems and drinking games. So Zhang Yi also learned to write doggerel, which always conformed to the rhythm of flat and oblique tones, and there was reason in the poems.

A scholar named Xie Xiandao was very surprised to see doggerel and asked Zhang Yi why he didn't go to school.

Zhang Yi said: "I am a lowly person, how dare I read?"

Xie Xiandao said: "Everyone can read."

Zhang Yi asked: "What book should I read?"

Xie Xiandao said: "Read "The Analects" first."

Zhang Yi bought a copy of "The Analects" with his salary, and asked the scholars for advice on words he didn't know or understand.

After reading the Analects, Zhang Yi asked again: "What should I do next?"

Xie Xiandao said: "You go and see Mr. Cheng."

Zhang Yi thus became Cheng Yi's last disciple, a student, a servant, and more like a son. He has always been by Cheng Yi's side, serving on his sickbed, taking care of his funeral, and even responsible for compiling the lifelong learning of the two Chengs.

After compiling his learning, Zhang Yi also died of illness.

Yin Yun asked: "Do you want to help the government measure the land?"

Zhang Liangyou replied: "To study things and gain knowledge, to do things is also to study things. When I help the government measure the land, I will encounter many people and things, and encounter many difficulties and obstacles. Dealing with those people, dealing with those things, breaking through obstacles, and solving difficulties, you can gain knowledge."

Yin Yun nodded in approval: "I thought you wanted to cling to the powerful. If you want to study things and gain knowledge, then you can go. Don't be afraid of offending the big family. As long as you are sincere and upright, nothing can invade you."

"Disciple remembers the teacher's teachings!" Zhang Liangyou bowed.

Yin Yun sighed, "What a pity, I am a born stupid person. My intelligence, talent and virtue are not even one ten-thousandth of your father's."

"I started to learn at a young age, and became a disciple of Cheng earlier than your father. But after my teacher passed away, I had to ask your father for advice."

"And your father never went to elementary school, and learned to read by osmosis in the restaurant. He was in his twenties before he became a disciple, and his progress in one year was equivalent to my progress in ten years."

"You are as smart as your father, and it is a waste of talent for you to study with me. My learning method is a stupid way, which is not suitable for you. That's why I brought you to Hualin Academy, where there are famous people from all over the country. "The teacher." "When you assisted the official government, you will go back to Luoyang. Words, beware of your career. "Zhang Liangyou said:" It is one day as a teacher, and you can't be ashamed to mention Master's name. He seriously started practicing mathematical problems. Cheng Yi's posthumous work on the Book of Changes stunned Yin Yun. Zhang Yi, however, was able to quickly sort out the manuscripts, and was able to check for omissions and fill in the gaps, and then taught Yin Yun with great effort.

Of the four masters of Chengmen, only Yin Yun is still alive.

He gathered some descendants of Luoxue in Jiangxi, planning to perfect Luoxue belonging to the Ming Dynasty.

Try to get closer to the emperor, but still reject Wang Anshi's knowledge.

They introduced Buddhism into Confucianism, but shouted to oppose Buddhism all day long, and wished to demolish all the temples in the world.

There were also officials in the court who kept in touch with them for a long time.

For example, Xie Liangzuo, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, was the spokesperson of Luoxue in the court.

Xie Liangzuo's criticism of Buddhism was: there is only upper reach (metaphysics), no lower learning (physical and lower learning).

Then, Xie Liangzuo crazily praised the emperor's new learning by criticizing Buddhism, and reformed Luoxue accordingly.

Luoxue in the Ming Dynasty regarded mathematics, physics and other subjects as "lower learning" and the only way to "upper learning".

Just when Yin Yun was doing math problems, another student came in: "Excuse me, sir, should I help measure the land?"

Yin Yun pointed to his heart: "My knowledge is just one word of respect. Don't ask me about this kind of thing, you should ask your heart. What is the reason for you to go? Why don't you dare to go?"

The student fell into deep thought and stood for a long time before bowing: "Disciple knows."

After saying goodbye, he ran to Wei Liangchen to sign up.