I

In the Ming Dynasty, there were countless literati associations.

Wang Yangming participated in several organizations when he was young, and the Donglin Party was initially just a literary society. I mentioned before that among the Six Young Masters of Chishui in southern Gansu, four of them were killed by rebels after returning home from the provincial examination. They also formed a Chishui Club.

There were more than thirty people who signed up to join Datong Club on the spot.

Zhao Han was not picky and accepted it all.

Just organize a few more club activities, expose those who are just joining in the fun, and then develop core members from the remaining people.

Relying on a bunch of scholars and children to rebel?

Rely on them to fight the Tatars?

It's pure bullshit.

There is also the Iron Foot Club in Hekou Town, and Zhao Han is also happy to make friends with them.

However, it cannot be relied upon as unions and gangster organizations are unreliable.

We can borrow the power of the Wenhui, the power of the trade union, and the Fei family.

But it is difficult for these forces to become Zhao Han's base!

Without a basic board, it is like water without a source, like a tree without roots. You can be on a whim, you can go smoothly, but you can't encounter major setbacks.

"Gentlemen!"

After lunch, Zhao Han clasped his fists and said, "We will discuss the matter of association in detail another day. Now that I have been summoned by the superintendent, I must go and listen to the admonishment."

"Go quickly, don't keep the inspector waiting for a long time." Zhu Sheng said.

Cai Maode lived in the guest room, and a healthy servant came to open the door.

Zhao Han asked: "Excuse me, sir, is the school inspector here?"

Jian's servant bowed and said, "The inspector has been waiting for a long time. Please come in, my dear husband."

At this moment, Cai Maode was sitting in front of the case, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones placed on the table.

A piece of draft paper was spread out, and keywords such as "uprooting the source", "all things are one", "the essence of Taoism", "harmony of the five teachings", "theory of personality" and so on were written casually.

Obviously, this person is doing knowledge, and it is very important knowledge.

It seemed that there were still some things that he didn't understand. Cai Maode closed his eyes and pondered hard. He didn't even know when Zhao Han entered the room.

Zhao Han didn't want to disturb him, so he quietly sat down and began to close his eyes and rest there.

After a long time, Cai Maode suddenly opened his eyes and started writing quickly. More than ten keywords appeared on the draft paper.

When he was about to formally write an article, he finally saw someone sitting next to him. Cai Maode put down his pen and asked with a smile: "How long have you been here?"

Zhao Han stood up and bowed: "The junior student has met the school inspector."

Cai Maode was in a happy mood at the moment. The more he looked at Zhao Han, the more he liked him. He said in a kind tone: "Sit down and talk."

Zhao Han immediately sat down and asked, "I don't know what the superintendent is calling me. What's the admonishment?"

Cai Maode asked: "You have such a grand theory at a young age, and you came up with it all by yourself?"

Zhao Han replied: "When the student was ten years old, he seemed to have some enlightenment after reading "The Great Learning". It took another four years to read the Confucian classics before he came up with this ridiculous and generous theory."

"Ten years old?"

Cai Maode was surprised and regretful at the same time: "Four years ago, the magistrate of Feng County in Qianshan should have recommended you to take the prodigy examination."

The governors of prefectures and counties in the Ming Dynasty could select prodigies around the age of ten, and they could directly take the Taoist examination without going through the county or government examinations. The examiner will take special care of prodigies, lower the evaluation standards, and give priority to them for admission.

Feng Menglong, who wrote "Three Words", was born as a child prodigy and became a junior student at the age of eleven.

Zhao Shichun of the Jiajing Dynasty took part in the child prodigy examination at the age of nine. He was suspected of cheating because his essay was so good.

When asked about the question "Confucius said" in the academic officer interview, Zhao Shichun immediately solved the question: An ordinary man can be a teacher for hundreds of generations, and one word can make the world a law.

The academic officer was surprised and used "Zhao Shichun" as the title. Zhao Shichun immediately broke the topic: the surname ranks first among hundreds of families, and the first name ranks first among the four orders.

The prodigy test is more difficult to cheat than the ordinary Tao test.

As long as one is selected, the whole province will pay attention. If something goes wrong, the academic officer will be stained for life.

Zhao Han wondered: "Wan Sheng is still very young, why is the inspector so urgent?"

Cai Maode sighed and said: "If you want to spread the theory of personality, you must at least have the reputation of being a scholar. I will support you, but there is no chance. After the scientific examination next year, I will probably be transferred to another position."

The boy's examination is conducted twice in three years.

Next year we will only take the subject examination, not the boy's examination, and we will not admit talents.

All exams next year will revolve around the provincial examination. Scholars who pass the scientific examination are eligible to take the imperial examination, and the academic examination can be used to test the academic performance of the scholar.

Cai Maode has been in office for several years. Under normal circumstances, he will be transferred at the end of next year. He is not allowed to hold this position for too long.

When Zhao Han went to take the scholar examination the next year, Jiangxi's academic officials had already been replaced.

Zhao Han said: "Late students must study diligently and vow to be a scholar."

Cai Maode cried out in his heart: I can't wait any longer!

He wanted to use the "theory of personality" to reinterpret Wang Yangming's "theory of pulling out the source" and vowed to revive the reputation of Yangming's theory of mind.

In this case, Zhao Han must be at least a scholar, and Tong Sheng's ideas will be despised by others.

Of course, Cai Maode could be shameless and take the "theory of personality" as his own regardless of the criticism of Qianshan scholars.

Cai Maode thought carefully, came up with a compromise, and asked: "Are you willing to worship me as your teacher?"

The academic officer Ti takes the initiative to recruit apprentices, why don’t the young students become apprentices quickly?

Zhao Han stood up and bowed: "Wansheng appreciates the good intentions of the inspector, but Wansheng already has a teacher."

Not willing?

Reject in person?

Cai Maode was stunned for a moment, and a trace of anger arose in his heart. However, because of his profound mental skills, he immediately suppressed his anger and seduced: "It's not like I can only worship one person as my teacher. When I leave next year, you can follow me and take up my new position."

Then you can’t even become a disciple!

Am I someone who wants to rebel and follow you everywhere to become an official? You're wasting my time!

Zhao Han bowed his head to the end and remained silent.

"Oh, that's all, that's all," Cai Maode could only sigh, and at the same time he felt emotional, "Anyone who can put forward the theory of personality is really an ordinary person. You must not follow Li Zhuowu's old path."

Li Zhuowu is Li Zhi.

In the late Ming Dynasty, deviance was allowed, but at least there should be a limit.

Neo-Confucianism also has a cosmology and is derived from Taoist thoughts, namely Tai Chi, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements, that is, one is born with two, two begets three, and three begets all things. This is the foundation of Neo-Confucianism.

In order to prove the equality of men and women, Li Zhi directly denied the existence of Tai Chi and even refused to acknowledge the words of the "Book of Changes", which was tantamount to digging out the roots of Neo-Confucianism.

Li Zhi's famous work is called "Book Burning"!

It was not Qin Shihuang's physical book burning, but his own ideological burning of books.

Even so, there are still countless Confucian scholars pursuing it, including celebrities, which shows how much people want to break through the prison of old ideas.

How popular was Li Zhi a few decades ago?

In order to make money, publishers in various places often signed their new books as Li Zhi's works, and they were sold out within a short period of time. Just like in a certain era, all novels were signed "Huang Yi", and Huang Yi's works could fill several walls.

Zhao Han said: "Wan Sheng understands, thank you very much for the instruction of the inspector."

Cai Maode added: "Li Zhuowu is a deviant, but his works are selling well. You need to be more careful, because the 'theory of personality' is really useful!"

What does it mean?

Li Zhi's remarks were so outrageous that even the great Confucians did not bother to criticize them.

To use an inappropriate analogy, someone says Newtonian mechanics is false. Will physicists stand up and deny it? For Neo-Confucianists, saying that Tai Chi does not exist is equivalent to saying that Newtonian mechanics is false!

Zhao Han's "theory of grid position" can be regarded as Einstein's "theory of relativity".

If it spreads, the great scholars will explode!

Some great Confucians may be overjoyed and take the initiative to accept and improve personality theory.

Some great scholars may be furious and attack Zhao Han at all costs.

"Since Wansheng dares to speak, he is not afraid of being criticized after speaking." Zhao Han smiled and showed no fear.

Cai Maode also laughed, smiling very happily: "When the theory of personality is spread to Jiangnan, I don't know how big a storm it will cause. If the next Jiangxi inspector is a scholar, he may support you or suppress you. Do you understand? "

"Wan Sheng understands." Zhao Han said.

Cai Maode said: "Since you refuse to become a disciple, how about I give you a pseudonym? Han, vast, is not as good as the word 'Haoran'. Although it cannot protect you for the rest of your life, it can protect you for a while."

If the superintendent is given the title, then during his term of office, Jiangxi Confucian scholars will not easily attack Zhao Han, otherwise it will be a slap in Cai Maode's face.

"My elders gave me this gift. I dare not resign. Thank you very much, the inspector, for your cultivation."

Zhao Han bowed his hands in thanks, and then said: "Wan Sheng also gave himself a nickname. In the future, he may change it when he walks in the world."

Cai Maode was a little angry and curious, and asked: "What name did you give yourself?"

Zhao Han replied: "Zhuochen."

"Which one? Which one?" Cai Maode asked.

Zhao Han said: "The water in the Canglang is so clear that I can wash my tassel with it. The dust in the world is as dark as the chariot without generals."

Cai Maode was stunned and laughed again: "Hahahahaha, the future generations are to be feared!"

After laughing, Cai Maode stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed straightly: "Since you have made up your mind, and your ambition is broad and difficult, you must persevere despite every setback."

"Even though I died nine times, I have no regrets." Zhao Han said.

Han means vastness and cleansing.

"The Cart Without Generals" is a poem that describes the worries and sufferings of workers. The workers push the carts, and dust covers the sky and the sun. Workers cannot see the way forward clearly, cannot figure out the direction, are plagued by various diseases, and suffer all day long.

Washing the dust means removing the dirt from the body and keeping the soul pure.

Dust removal is also to clear away the dust for workers, remove obstacles for workers, and guide the direction for workers!

This laborer can also be understood as scholars, common people, and all peoples in the world.

"Zhao Zhuochen, Zhao Zhuochen," Cai Maode read it twice, waved his hand and said, "Go."

"Wansheng excuses himself." Zhao Han handed over his hands and left.

Cai Maode murmured to himself: What is this young man’s ambition? Neo-Confucianism? Study by heart? Practical learning?

The mainstream trend of academic thought in the late Ming Dynasty was to criticize Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming, and to rectify the source and explore the ways of Confucius and Mencius. It is advocated that Confucianism cannot be divorced from reality, and it must be advocated that Confucianism must manage the world and benefit the people.

This is called "practical learning".

No matter how it is done, no matter what the purpose is, the Donglin Party holds high the banner of "practical learning".

However, the Donglin Party has a complex composition.

Some people abandon Neo-Confucianism and explore the real Confucius and Mencius.

Some people revise Neo-Confucianism and believe that Zhu Xi was correct but was distorted by later generations.

Cai Maode is also a member of the Donglin Party. He is trying to repair his Xinxue. He believes that Wang Yangming is correct, but has been misinterpreted by his disciples and disciples.

After Zhao Han left the room, Cai Maode picked up his writing brush and quoted the theory of grid position to write a big article that would shock all schools of thought!