"Your Majesty, although Neo-Confucianism is respected as an official school, it has evolved to this day and is no longer in line with the reality of the country."

The luxurious lotus lanterns cast a warm light from the beam roof of Fengtian Hall, reflecting on the robes of the five people, creating clear shadow boundaries.

On the steps, Zhu Di was sitting on the dragon chair, looking at Jiang Xinghuo who was sitting on the brocade pier. Zhu Gaosui was hiding in the shadow behind Zhu Di, while the tall Zhu Gaoxu, wearing a red python robe, looked down condescendingly and knelt on the ground. Zhu Gaochi did not raise his head.

Zhu Di stood up slowly, walked around Jiang Xinghuo and Zhu Gaoxu, and walked down the steps.

Zhu Di walked up to Zhu Gaochi unusually and slowly.

He bent down and stretched out his strong hands to grab Zhu Gaochi's shoulders, using all his strength.

Twenty-five-year-old Zhu Gaochi and forty-four-year-old Zhu Di seemed to be crawling bears and pouncing tigers at this moment.

"Chi'er, do you know why I ask you to handle state affairs?"

Zhu Di's deep voice echoed in the hall where there were only a few people.

Zhu Gaochi felt as if his shoulder blades were about to break, and cold sweat began to break out on his forehead, but he still didn't say a word.

".My son is stupid."

"No, you are not stupid. You are very smart. You are the smartest of my three sons. It is precisely because you are smart and you can do things that your other two brothers cannot do that I let you come."

Zhu Di looked at the sweat on his son's forehead, dripping like a rain curtain.

"But you shouldn't question it, especially my decision-making."

"You've been sitting in this position for a long time. Have you forgotten something?"

Zhu Di grabbed Zhu Gaochi by his collar and grabbed him from the ground. The faces of father and son faced each other closely.

Zhu Gaochi's whole fat face seemed to be twisted together. He was scared, really scared.

After exercising the power of the emperor for more than half a year, Zhu Gaochi finally understood why his father was so reassured about him.

Zhu Di's expression became gentle for a rare moment. He leaned into Zhu Gaochi's ear and whispered softly.

"Our family is all rebels."

"We are the country that the rebels took from Jianwen's hands, don't you remember?"

After that, Zhu Di forced Zhu Gaochi's head to twist along with his shoulders in one direction.

The portrait of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang hangs there quietly, watching his children and grandchildren fight each other around "power".

"Your grandpa is watching here, in Fengtian Hall."

"You have to remember that when your grandfather was here, it was because of this 'Neo-Confucianism' and this 'Patriarchal Law' that he refused to hand over the country to me. But now he is dead."

"No one can survive to the end, and I am the same."

"I am forty-five years old this year. In another twenty or thirty years, I will have to go underground to find your grandfather. By then, to whom will the Ming Dynasty be passed on?"

This was the first time that Zhu Di explicitly mentioned the issue of establishing a crown prince in front of his sons after avoiding it for more than half a year. Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but breathe quickly.

Zhu Di, who had his back turned to the three of them, spoke louder.

"Second and third, I also want to tell you that our family won the world through rebellion, not through kindness or tolerance!"

"You must remember it until your death!"

Zhu Di turned around and stared expressionlessly at his two sons standing on either side of Jiang Xinghuo. The darkness in his eyes seemed to be swallowing up the two of them.

Zhu Gaojiu's mouth hidden in his beard opened into a smile, while Zhu Gaosui looked trembling with fear and hurriedly got behind Zhu Gaojiu. This was to express that he had no intention of competing with his two brothers for the position of prince.

Jiang Xinghuo remained calm and even looked at the hanging scroll with the words "Portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu and Gao Emperor of the Ming Dynasty" with interest.

Jiang Xinghuo was the one who traveled through Jianwen three years ago to start the eighth reincarnation. For this name that appeared in countless people, he could only say that it was a pity that he could not meet Lao Zhu alive.

I don’t know if Lao Zhu saw this scene, would he take off his shoes and beat Zhu Di, who is still majestic and full of aura, to run all over the hall.

Zhu Di's eyes swept across everyone, and finally rested on Zhu Gaoxu. He continued: "I summoned you to the palace today to discuss the matter of establishing a heir. Whether you are willing or not, and no matter who is appointed in the end, there must be an explanation. .”

These words were like a bolt from the blue, causing Zhu Gaochi to tremble violently. If Zhu Di hadn't still been holding him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.

But Zhu Di didn't look at him twice.

"Second brother, I will remember your contribution."

Zhu Gaoxu's lips moved a few times. He wanted to say "Thank you, Father", but his throat seemed to be blocked, and a sour liquid seemed to flow out of his eyes, but he forced it back.

But Zhu Gaoxu knew very well that there was actually one more important obstacle to his becoming the prince, and that was Zhu Zhanji.

In Zhu Di's mind, Zhu Zhanji is an irreplaceable existence.

This kind of status is like Zhu Yuanzhang's treatment of Zhu Yunwen.

He valued his eldest grandson more than anyone else.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi: "You two brothers have been fighting, I know. But I have always hoped that you brothers would respect each other, regardless of each other. I also hope to see you brothers living in harmony. At the moment, it seems that it is impossible. Even if you are pretending, you can’t pretend for me.”

"Boss, you are the eldest son. It stands to reason that you must shoulder the important task of revitalizing the Ming Dynasty in the future." Zhu Di said, "But your performance today makes me very disappointed."

"My son is terrified." Zhu Gaochi struggled to kneel down.

"I don't blame you."

Zhu Di pulled him: "I just don't want to see the Ming Dynasty die, and I don't want to see the Ming Dynasty die in your hands. I hope that you brothers can work together to protect the Ming Dynasty and maintain the Ming Dynasty. If you can't, you should choose A truly capable person will inherit my throne."

"Father, son, minister"

Zhu Gaochi paused, gritted his teeth and said, "My son, I never understand."

Zhu Gaochi did not continue speaking, but his "I don't understand" already said a thousand words.

After he finished speaking, his eyes were firm and he met Zhu Di's cold gaze without fear. Although his face was pale, he stood still and did not move.

"What don't you understand? I don't understand why I want to give the second-born a chance even though you are the eldest son?"

Zhu Di asked coldly.

He raised his hand and pointed at Zhu Yuanzhang's portrait.

"The reason is simple. Your grandfather made a mistake, and I don't want to make the same mistake as him."

"If twenty years later, you are ahead of me and Zhanji succeeds to the throne as the emperor's grandson, will there be another Jingnan battle?"

"Or is it that Zhan Ji wants to be like Zhu Yunwen and kill all his uncles and my own sons?!"

But on this issue, Zhu Gaochi had no room for concession.

He is the Crown Prince of Yan, so he should be the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince!

If he flinches in any way at this time, he will regret it for the rest of his life!

Zhu Gaochi was obviously desperate. He looked at his father and asked.

"The world of our lineage, Prince Yan's Mansion, was stolen from us. In the future, every generation of kings will have to rely on swords and guns to decide the outcome?"

"In the Battle of Jingnan, my second brother made great contributions on the battlefield, but I just defended the city in Beiping and had enough food and troops in the rear. Didn't I make great contributions?"

"ha"

Zhu Gaochi laughed miserably.

"Father, my son is dissatisfied!"

This is the first open, head-on, and uncompromising conflict between father and son.

Zhu Di has his own reasons for not being able to speak, and Zhu Gaochi also has his grievances.

For a moment, there was complete silence in the Fengtian Hall, and you could hear a needle drop.

"Today the Imperial Master will bear witness."

Seeing Zhu Di talking about him, Jiang Xinghuo also stood up from the Jindun.

"No matter who becomes the crown prince or the emperor in the future."

What Zhu Di said is very interesting. Being a prince may not necessarily make you an emperor. There are too many things implied in it.

Zhu Gaoxu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated a lot, and he vaguely guessed a hint.

But after being taught by Jiang Xinghuo, he was no longer a completely reckless man. He thought calmly for a moment and still remained calm.

Zhu Di paused and then said: "As for my other two sons, since they are my flesh and blood, if there is any emergency, they will be sent overseas to become feudal lords and never come back again."

"You three brothers must remember that the Battle of Jingnan cannot happen again!"

"My father is a wise man, and I will obey my father's teachings." Zhu Gaosui said solemnly, as if he had put down something.

Seeing that the boss and the second child were silent, Zhu Di looked at them.

"I still hope that one of you can be chosen as the heir apparent between the two of you."

"In this era of great contention, my son, when competing for the crown prince, must not only fight vigorously, but also fight openly and honestly!"

"After the second rank is evaluated, I will go north to Kaiping to prepare for the autumn. By then, the reforms in Northern Zhili will be taken care of."

"I'll give you three years, until today, the fourth year of Yongle, to measure and calculate the results of the Zhili Reform in the North and South according to the method given before, and compare the results. Who will win and who will be the crown prince? Do you still have any opinions?"

Although I had mentioned this matter before, it was just painting the cake without a clear explanation. Now that Zhu Gaoxu is about to go north, Zhu Di has completely finalized the matter.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi, his meaning was very clear.

Zhu Gaochi also knew that his father was not the eldest son who ascended the throne. Coupled with his relationship with Zhu Gaoxu, he was naturally biased towards Zhu Gaoxu. Now he must give Zhu Gaoxu an opportunity to compete for the throne in an upright and fair manner, which is also an explanation to the Jingnan Xungui Group.

Obviously, during this period of time, my father must have been affected by various aspects due to the matter of assessing general ranks.

And in the face of this opportunity, if the competition is about martial arts, which he is best at, and he can't compare, it means that his father's choice is actually the right one.

I am not suitable to inherit the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, he could no longer disappoint Zhu Di.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Zhu Di firmly and said, "My son will definitely become the crown prince."

Zhu Di loosened his hands.

Zhu Gaochi lay on the ground panting. Now he was relaxed. The pain just now almost made him faint, but he held it back. He slowly got up and lowered his head.

Zhu Di stared at his fat son and remained silent for a long time. After a long time, he asked.

"Do you know where you went wrong just now? It's not a matter of Li Chu, it's a matter of Neo-Confucianism."

"A son should not question his father's decision."

"Then why do you have this idea?"

"I thought that deposing Neo-Confucianism would definitely bring disaster."

Pragmatist Zhu Di said sincerely: "Legalism, Confucianism, Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, Xinxue, and Pragmatism. In the final analysis, for the people standing here, they are just tools. What is the name of this tool? What's important?"

"To govern the world, one must use Shen Han, and to protect the world, one must use Huang Lao. But while external Confucianism and internal law are also used to rest with the people, is it called Confucianism?"

"What's important is not the name, but whether it's easy to use or not. What kind of rules and regulations are there to deceive the people below? Why did you still believe it?"

"yes."

Zhu Gaochi lowered his eyebrows and listened to the instructions, but he had another feeling in his heart.

He finally understood why Jiang Xinghuo dared to act so unscrupulously.

In fact, Zhu Gaochi suddenly felt that his understanding of his father might not be as profound as Jiang Xinghuo's.

Jiang Xinghuo knew very well what his father wanted.

"I know Neo-Confucianism is useful, but Neo-Confucianism also has drawbacks."

Zhu Di's face became solemn and he said slowly: "The shortcomings of Neo-Confucianism are that it does not understand world affairs, does not distinguish truth from falsehood, and does not understand current affairs. Since the Song Dynasty, it has been a small school born in a quiet corner of the country. The Ming Dynasty has become a powerful school. "Across the world, we are experiencing great turmoil and change. If we don't take advantage of the situation and make a U-turn, I am afraid that more accumulated shortcomings will inevitably occur in the future. If we try to change things when they are hard to come back, it will be too late."

Zhu Di's voice was sonorous, powerful and resounding: "One generation should do its own thing. Don't leave these things to your sons. Your grandson will do it!"

"My son understands."

The three princes bowed and saluted and said in unison.

Jiang Xinghuo nodded, Zhu Di was indeed right.

Neo-Confucianism should have been reformed very early on, to be precise during the Southern Song Dynasty, rather than waiting until now.

But in fact, not only did Neo-Confucianism not change, but the emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty intensified their efforts, raising Neo-Confucianism as a running dog, using it to continuously cultivate the thinking patterns of scholar-bureaucrats, and constantly instilling pedantic ideas, making it difficult for them to adhere to the principles of ancient Confucianism. Feng, a Confucian scholar who upheld the principle of being a gentleman, began to degenerate.

In the early Southern Song Dynasty, there were people like Xin Qiji and Lu You, but in the late period, they basically became mediocre people who talked a lot. These people could neither govern the country nor resist the Mongols.

If this situation happens again in the Ming Dynasty as Jiang Xinghuo said in the prison, the water is too cold and the scalp is too itchy. This is what Zhu Di absolutely does not want to see.

Therefore, before Jiang Xinghuo's memorial was delivered, Zhu Di actually decided to make changes to Neo-Confucianism.

"Neo-Confucianism should be completely overthrown and restarted, and it should no longer be allowed to survive."

Saying this, Zhu Di took out a memorial: "This was handed over by the Imperial Master before. I have kept it. You can take a look."

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu looked at each other, then respectfully held the memorial with both hands.

The first memorial presented to Zhu Gaochi was about reforming the official selection and inspection system, which was the rumor that Zhu Gaochi had heard before.

During this process, Zhu Gaoxu carefully observed Zhu Gaochi and saw that his brows were frowning deeper and deeper, and he also had some suspicions in his mind.

The memorial was written by Jiang Xinghuo himself, and in this memorial, Jiang Xinghuo not only proposed to establish the Ming Dynasty Administrative School, but also to set up branch schools in North and South Zhili to train future officials.

At the same time, unified study and examination books are compiled. "Administrative Management" is naturally the main knowledge for training officials. In addition, practical knowledge such as agriculture, law, and mathematics must also be supplemented. As for astronomy, geography, physics, and chemistry, it is For elective courses, choose one of four according to your interests.

The Department of Science in the Imperial College is responsible for popularizing science education to make a distinction.

According to the three-house method, the Ming Dynasty Administrative School held a "public examination" every year. Special officials from the imperial court presided over the examination. Those who passed the examination were selected from the students outside the school, and then supplemented with reference to their usual academic performance and personal conduct. Abandon.

Then, a "Shanghai Examination" will be held every other year to select qualified students from the internal students and refer to their usual academic performance and personal conduct to supplement them into the upper school.

Shangshe students are also divided into three grades based on their accumulated test scores and their usual academic studies and conduct: among them, top students can be directly awarded official positions after reporting to the court; middle-level students can be exempted from the preliminary examinations in the first few rounds of the imperial examination and directly Participate in the final palace examination; lower-class students (including some internal students and individual external students with extremely good grades) can obtain the qualification of "taking the solution" (selected scholars should be admitted as scholars), and can also stay in school to teach and serve as students. Full-time and academically registered (equivalent to positions as university assistants and lecturers).

In addition, there is also a monthly exam every month. If you fail the monthly exam three times, you will be demoted. The upper house will be demoted to the inner house, the inner house will be demoted to the outer house, and the outer house will be expelled. It's the elimination system at the end.

In conjunction with the examination method that is about to be piloted among Beijing officials, Jiang Xinghuo is really going to raise his sword against the civil servants and kill them with all his heart.

In fact, in the final analysis, establishing a school and re-following the path of Sanshefa in selecting officials is a big or small matter. However, if Zhu Di insists on doing so, the civil servants in the DPRK will inevitably feel that it means that he will give up Neo-Confucianism, and in this way, the DPRK will I'm afraid there will be outrage.

And before that, both Jin Zhong and Jin Youzi tried to persuade Zhu Di, but with little effect.

Of course, the two mainly think that Neo-Confucianism cannot be abolished. After all, no one knows whether Zhu Yunwen is still alive at the moment, and Zhu Di's throne is not completely stable. , it must fundamentally touch the interests of the gentry and civil servants, and it is not a good thing to be self-defeating.

However, Zhu Gaochi never expected that before he could think of a reply, Zhu Di was already ready to take action. This was like a thunderbolt. He couldn't help but glance at Jiang Xinghuo next to him.

He had a calm look on his face, as if he wasn't worried at all.

This national master...

Zhu Gaochi sighed secretly, and felt more and more deeply in his heart that Neo-Confucianism, which had dominated the ideological world for hundreds of years, and that he had studied for nearly twenty years, was actually being shaken in front of him in such a real way.

In fact, Zhu Gaochi's exclamation is only natural. In this era, no matter who you are, you will think that Neo-Confucianism is orthodox. Even if you randomly drag someone on the streets of Nanjing, they will definitely think so.

This era pays attention to the three cardinal principles and five constant principles, and emphasizes the preservation of natural principles and the elimination of human desires. Regardless of whether it is instilled, this is a spiritual and cultural resonance.

Jiang Xinghuo knew.

In another historical time and space, Neo-Confucianism was used to confuse the people, control the scholar-bureaucrats, and influence China's progress.

Jiang Xinghuo's idea is - since this thing is the source of disaster, it is better to destroy it!

This is the tragedy of Neo-Confucianism and Jiang Xinghuo’s tragedy.

His thoughts crawled out of the information cocoon of the future, and he has extremely complex feelings about this society.

He wants to destroy one side of the world, and he also wants to protect the other side of the world, but... he doesn't have enough power to stop others, and sometimes he can't even stop his own thoughts.

He doesn't know if he can achieve what he wants to do, which is to transform society.

But he had no choice but to move forward.

As for the results, damn it.

Therefore, Jiang Xinghuo had no intention of stopping Zhu Di from radically abolishing Neo-Confucianism. He just wanted to use the opportunity of this debate and the three arenas to put Neo-Confucianism to a brief rest.

While Jiang Xinghuo was thinking wildly, Zhu Gaoxu also finished reading the memorial.

Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a long time and said: "I think according to what my father said, Neo-Confucianism is like a tool to use morality to resolve all contradictions and disputes to achieve the stability of the regime. But using morality as a deterrent, these things sometimes work , sometimes it doesn’t work. For example, the most important point in Neo-Confucianism, the three cardinal principles and the five constant principles, is to let everyone in the world understand their own position and depend on others. But I saw it with my own eyes in Jiangnan. Women and children seemed to be better than strong men when it came to weaving. You need to be more obedient and more dexterous. It feels a bit wasteful to think that so many people are bound by the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules."

Zhu Gaoxu's voice was neither fast nor slow. Because his brain was slow to think, he could only speak slowly. However, it was obvious that every sentence contained simple and unique logic, as if a sharp knife had been stabbed into it. People's hearts.

After Zhu Di listened to his words, he suddenly fell into silence and did not say anything for a long time.

He raised his head and stared at Jiang Xinghuo, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Morality cannot solve all problems, and law cannot solve all problems. But the problem now is that we emphasize morality and underestimate law. If morality fails, the law will be in vain."

"Law, this is an important way for the court to control the people. If there is no legal restraint, the world will be in chaos. If there are no legal regulations, officials and people will act unscrupulously and use any means. Therefore, the most urgent task is to revise the documents established by the puppet emperor. During this period, loose laws were relaxed again, various rules were formulated, and at the same time, some things from the reform were written into the "Da Ming Law"."

"Yeah." Zhu Di nodded.

He pondered for a moment and then said: "You just said it very well. Neo-Confucianism believes that morality is the foundation of governing the country. However, in fact, morality is not the foundation of governing the world. It is only used to educate the people. I believe that ruling the world by law and governing the world by morality are the key to governing the world. They have to go hand in hand.”

Zhu Di's face suddenly became solemn, and he looked at Jiang Xinghuo with burning eyes, "I will leave the academic matters to the Imperial Preceptor, but no matter what, the Imperial Preceptor must remember that morality is by no means useless, I just want to make it work. It should be controlled within its due limits, rather than becoming a tool for civil servants to limit imperial power, so even if it is practical learning, it cannot be completely abandoned. I hope that the Ming Dynasty, including the subsequent rulers of the Ming Dynasty, will try their best to follow this principle."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded.

"You all go back, I still have to deal with some memorials."

After Jiang Xinghuo and the three princes left, Zhu Di sat there on the spacious and magnificent dragon chair, looking at the dark night sky outside the palace with a complex expression, and finally sighed for a long time.

Many scenes from the past appeared before his eyes——

It was obviously more than thirty years ago. He had many brothers. The young princes were riding horses and shooting arrows, playing and chasing each other. They were still not satisfied with playing until late at night, so they gathered at the gate of the palace and watched the fireflies in summer. , bragging with gusto.

Now, he and his brothers have grown up, become old, and many of them are even dead.

One generation after another.

The same goes for his own sons. They will start a family, marry a wife and have children. As time goes by, they will become characters whose names are left in the history books, but they will no longer be able to play as unscrupulously as they did when they were children, and they will no longer have the brotherhood they once had.

Thinking of his sons when they were young, Zhu Di couldn't help but smile.

Then, a bitter smile appeared on the corner of Zhu Di's lips, and he murmured to himself in a low voice: "I know what you want, but no matter what, some things can't be too forced. After all, nothing is perfect in this world."

——————

After the affairs of the three arenas of Wangba, Yili, and Ancient and Modern were handed over to the editor-in-chief Xie Jinjie, they were quickly spread in the streets and alleys of Nanjing through the publicity of Ming Pao, and became a household name. hot topic.

Ordinary people may only feel curious and emotional about the things reported by this new thing "Ming Pao", but for most readers, it is a major event that can trigger fierce reactions.

Although "Ming Pao" did not directly explain the connection between this incident and the rescue of Kong Xilu, since the location was located on a street in front of the prison, anyone could see that this was using Kong Xilu as the final bargaining chip. .

It's shameless, but the great scholars are very excited about it.

This is a good opportunity to gain unprecedented fame. As long as you win even one debate competition, you can instantly go from unknown to famous all over the world.

Although the three people guarding the ring, Zhuo Jing, Zhang Yuchu, and Yao Guangxiao, are all very powerful, who will be convinced if the literati don't give it a try?

However, there is another saying here, but it is that the great scholars must first recommend someone to challenge the arena.

Of course, some people saw that this was Jiang Xinghuo's conspiracy, which was to force them to cultivate a poison first and cause internal friction, and even arouse internal hatred and entanglements.

But what Yangmou means is that you have no choice.

Most of the great Confucians in the Ming Dynasty looked like loyal and honest Taoists.

At certain critical moments, they may have a little more backbone, but this is by no means a struggle against the powerful class. There are brave heroes in this world, but most people cannot be such warriors who "face the misfortune directly." , so their integrity is reflected in their quarrels.

These scholars are not fools. They know that this opportunity is rare. If they win, they will be famous all over the world and feel proud. If they lose, they will not lose anything and their career will not be affected, so they have already had a huge quarrel.

Since current officials cannot participate, the number of people in the capital who have the qualifications and ability to participate is actually very limited, and basically all of them know each other, so it is natural for them to get together to discuss.

A restaurant by the Qinhuai River has been booked.

"Let me go! I'm the fourth in Wuchen's second class!"

"I'm old, let me go."

"Your body is like this, aren't you afraid of something going wrong?"

"Huh, I'm not afraid."

"This is a fair fight. Since you have the ability, you shouldn't shrink back."

"That's right, there is no shame even if we lose. We are all old friends. Who can laugh at who else? Although we are old and frail, Zhuo Jing and Yao Guangxiao are not much younger. If we don't dare to stand up, , isn’t it embarrassing?”

"..."

"Please stop arguing."

An old and rich voice sounded, and an old man walked in. This person was none other than Gao Xunzhi who came from Jiangning Town.

"Gao Taichang?"

Gao Xunzhi abandoned his official position and left the capital, and was not a remnant of Jianwen, so no one was surprised when he appeared here.

Gao Xunzhi had white hair and beard, but he had a straight back and a strong spirit. As a big figure in Neo-Confucianism, he was also the teacher of Yang Rong, Jin Youzi and others. As soon as he appeared on the stage, his words fell, and after a while of confusion, he quickly got a big reputation. Support from some people.

"Gao Taichang's qualifications, prestige, and knowledge are not in dispute. We support Gao Taichang to represent us."

Gao Xunzhi looked around, scanning the many old friends and juniors, and finally looked at a young man who looked like a farmer sitting beside him.

All these great scholars who have passed the examination have basically surpassed the second level, or are Hanlin, or common people, and there are even a few high-ranking officials who have become official. Although these old men usually do not show off their talents, they have their own tricks. The perfect Neo-Confucian theory and what they are good at, while being in the opposition, means that bystanders are clear, and their judgment and grasp of the entire situation are very accurate.

At this time, these people all know that this is the most critical opportunity for the academic circles in the early Ming Dynasty to establish their status. Once missed, it will be extremely difficult to occupy a place in the academic circles of the Ming Dynasty in the future.

Therefore, except for Gao Xunzhi, who is recognized as a strong player, other places will never be given up.

"Are you Cao Duan?"

The young man in commoner clothes stood up and bowed seriously. His dark skin and rough hands seemed incompatible with the pampered scholars around him.

"It's just the late laggards."

Cao Duan, courtesy name Zhengfu and nickname Yuechuan, was born in Mianchi, Henan. He read many books at the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen, he studied under Ma Zicai in Yiyang and Peng Zonggu in Taiyuan. He was well versed in the Five Classics. Cao Duan is now an undisputed member of the Shaanxi and Henan generation. The academic leader.

In fact, if there is no other interference, this academic leader will gradually grow into the "Crown of Neo-Confucianism in the Early Ming Dynasty" recognized by "History of the Ming Dynasty".

But with the presence of Jiang Xinghuo, the historical line has shifted more and more, and Cao Duan also appeared here.

"In that case...then I invite you gentlemen and students to be witnesses."

Gao Xunzhi nodded with a smile and turned to look at Cao Duan: "I heard that you have been reading books about sages since you were a child. You are quite benevolent and have become famous in Henan and Shaanxi at a young age. Today I plan to give you a chance to compete for the remaining places. , I wonder what you think?"

Gao Xunzhi's attitude was extremely sincere.

In fact, this place is basically located in Nanzhili, and is even dominated by local scholars in Nanjing. If no one recommends it, no matter how capable Cao Duan is, he will only have a little reputation in Shaanxi and Henan, and he will not even be qualified to compete for a fair quota. No.

None of the great scholars and students present would allow this to happen.

The reason is also very simple. The quota for the competition must go to the most qualified and capable scholars.

The "competition for spots" is reserved for the respective juniors to show their faces.

This is a private area that has long been tacitly understood. It is a necessary exchange of resources for the respective academic inheritance. How can an outsider steal the limelight?

Cao Duan was silent for a long time, and finally raised his head: "Thank you, Mr. Old, for trusting me! I will do my best!"

"OK."

Gao Xunzhi put his hands on his hands and smiled, with a pleased expression on his face.

"Who is this young man?"

At this time, many people present were interested in Cao Duan.

After all, many of the great Confucians present are well-read in poetry and books. In addition to Confucian classics, there are countless various classics, biographies, travel notes, and miscellaneous books. They read and study them in their spare time every day. The so-called "learn to be rich" is naturally not just talk.

There was nothing given for free, so why did Gao Xunzhi have confidence in this person? And due to the geographical location and information dissemination, some of them have never even heard of Cao Duan's name.

"Gao Taichang wants to be praised and killed."

A great scholar shook his head: "Although this Cao Duan has gained a great reputation in Henan and Shaanxi, he is too young and has too little qualifications. If he is allowed to fight on behalf of Shilin, I am afraid he will not be able to convince the public at all."

"Yes, Gao Taichang's suggestion seems to be helping Cao Duan, but in fact it is hurting him. This is a dangerous move. If there is a slight mistake, Cao Duan's future can be easily ruined."

"However, Cao Duan has a sincere heart and is worthy of admiration."

Some great scholars were discussing.

They don't need to persuade Cao Duan on this kind of matter. After all, they all know that if Cao Duan is really willing to accept Gao Xunzhi's proposal, then he himself will definitely not be willing to give up.

But this kind of behavior vaguely caused public outrage.

A young man under thirty years old actually wants to fight on their behalf? Is this arrogance? Or crazy?

Even if this is not the case, just competing for a spot in the competition has violated their interests.

"Gao Taichang, why is this?"

At this time, a voice sounded.

"Mr. Xu."

Gao Xunzhi quickly handed over his hand.

Another old man frowned and said: "I know that you have a heart for boxing. Unfortunately, this person is still relatively young and has little qualifications. I'm afraid..."

Mr. Xu didn't finish what he said, but his meaning was clear.

The water here is too deep. You are given a spot because you are capable and qualified, but it does not mean that you can get involved in other things.

"Yes, what Mr. Xu said makes sense."

"That's the reason. I also think Cao Duan is not suitable."

Other great Confucian scholars and students all agreed.

After hearing their discussion, Cao Duan's expression changed slightly.

He did not expect that this group of old Confucians, who were usually unsmiling and extremely serious, would actually say such things in public.

This situation can be called a slap in the face.

Only Gao Xunzhi still insisted: "I know this is a serious matter. After all, Cao Duan..."

He wanted to continue talking.

However, Cao Duan on the side suddenly put down his teacup and walked over.

The water on the teacup was still steaming.

Cao Duan looked calm and his eyes were clear: "Seniors, I am willing to give it a try because I have absolute confidence in my academic research."

"oh?"

At this time, Mr. Xu also stopped smiling: "Then think about it, everyone here also has this confidence."

"I understand." Cao Duan clasped his fists and said, "It's just that if I can't shoulder this important task, that's all. If the opportunity is right in front of me, it would be a pity not to fight for it if it is not done by scholars of my generation."

"Then how are you going to fight for it?"

"Just let the seniors set the rules."

Hearing Cao Duan's words, Gao Xunzhi suddenly laughed heartily: "Okay! Have the courage! Let me wait and see!"

Mr. Xu pondered and said: "It will not sound good if the big one bullies the small ones, so let's let some disciples of the great Confucians here, who are about the same age as you, come and debate the meaning of the scriptures."

In fact, during the Ming Dynasty, due to the influence of the previous Yuan Dynasty's ruling policies, the population base, culture, education, and academic research levels between the north and the south were greatly different. Candidates in the middle reaches of Jiangnan and Jiangxi could get the top few in Henan and Shaanxi. .

This is why Cao Duan is famous in Henan and Shaanxi, but the hard-working scholars here do not think highly of him.

Therefore, even if they are of the same age, it is actually unfair to Cao Duan to let the disciples of Jiangnan Confucianism compete with Cao Duan.

"This Cao Duan... is quite courageous!"

Another great scholar stared at Cao Duan's back for a long time, then slowly uttered four words: "I don't know what is good and what is evil!"

Following Mr. Xu's order, several elegant-looking men dressed neatly and wearing Confucian scarves were soon called over by their respective division commanders.

"Everyone."

Mr. Xu looked around and said: "Although Cao Duan has immature qualifications, he has a literary name in Henan and Shaanxi and is a first-class figure in the Central Plains. Now he is willing to challenge you. You must go all out and don't hide your clumsiness, otherwise you will lose face." Yes, it’s not just you.”

"I will obey Mr. Xu's instructions."

The men bowed and saluted.

Soon, a man walked in and bowed to Cao Duan.

"Brother Cao Xian."

His tone was clear and fluent, with a strong Jiangxi accent: "Brother Cao Xian is well-known in Henan and Shaanxi. I have admired you for a long time. It is a great honor to come to participate this time. Please feel free to teach me!"

"good."

Cao Duan took a deep breath and bowed in salute.

"please!"

However, just a moment later, the scholar from Jiangxi became speechless in disbelief.

The remaining people looked at each other and went up to debate the scriptures with Cao Duan one after another. They lost one by one in less than a cup of tea.

Cao Duan's understanding of Neo-Confucianism was extremely subtle and profound, and could even be called quite magical. Not only could he easily resolve their attacks, he could even counterattack casually, putting them in trouble.

According to the rules of debate, if you lose once, you have no chance, so in theory, as long as you can always do one move per second, the speed is still very fast.

It wasn't until the last person came that Cao Duan breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the tea cup and took a sip of water. The water was still hot.

"Be convinced."

The last scholar sighed.

He was not considered a top figure, but he was still considered a number one figure. However, he lost so easily to Cao Duan today, which made him feel quite complicated.

What's more complicated is that just now he was still mocking Cao Duan for his young age and immature qualifications.

The results of it? In the blink of an eye, he was defeated.

"Ashamed, accept."

Cao Duan said modestly.

At this time, Mr. Xu said: "Cao Duan, since you dare to accept the challenge this time, you should have some self-awareness."

His tone was indifferent: "You are too junior, so what if you beat these disciples? What you can do, who among you here can't do it better than you? This time you will show your face in front of the seniors and participate in the competition Regarding the quota, you are not qualified yet.”

"This..." Cao Duan hesitated immediately.

He really didn't expect that his words of "do your best" would cause such trouble.

However, Cao Duan is not a fool. Even if the opponent is an old scholar, he will target him again and again. If he doesn't fight back, he will inevitably be looked down upon.

Cao Duan put down the warm tea cup.

"Please give me some advice, senior."

After half a cup of tea, Cao Duan picked up the tea cup again.

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