Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

In the teahouse where Bao Zhao was hiding, the warriors from the Zhending camp had already put on the same flying fish uniforms as Jin Yiwei, equipped with embroidered spring knives, and picked up weapons such as rattan cards and crossbows.

But the bright clothes could not hide their low mood.

"Bad man?"

Seeing that he had not given the order to attack for a long time, his subordinates couldn't help but called out worriedly.

"Bao Gong, what are we going to do next? We can't just sit around!"

Another subordinate asked.

"Wait!" Bao Zhao replied decisively.

This assassination was the result of his long-term and careful planning, and he would never allow failure.

"I know what you want to do."

Bao Zhao sighed: "However, we must wait for the best opportunity to ensure that we can kill the false emperor before taking action. Otherwise, we will only alert the enemy and do bad things."

When the subordinates heard this, one of them said: "You are a tyrant, but the brothers over there are afraid of it now."

Bao Zhao turned his back, and his subordinates looked at his lonely figure and were speechless.

They are all brothers who have been together day and night for five years. How can it be possible to say that they are unmoved?

"Bao Gong, if you give an order, we will go through fire and water, no matter how hard we die, we will not give up!"

He believed that these men were telling the truth, but now was not the time for his plan to finally launch.

"We can't get in with just a set of Jin Yiwei's clothes. We have to wait for the opportunity to create chaos, and we have to wait."

Bao Zhao raised his hand to stop them.

The subordinates said anxiously: "Bao Gong, if the false emperor runs away, our brothers will die in vain!"

"Listen to my orders! I won't let them die in vain!"

Bao Zhao suddenly turned around, and everyone realized that his eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears, and his voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

He gritted his teeth and said this sentence:

"I will definitely take the head of the false emperor to avenge my brothers!"

Bao Zhao walked to the window and looked out into the distance. The weather was very good today and there was not much wind.

——He needs the wind.

According to the rules of this season and his calculations, it won't be long before the southeast wind blows.

"Listen to my orders, otherwise, military law will be dealt with."

"yes!"

They looked at each other and replied.

Bao Zhao nodded, took a deep breath to calm his agitated heart, and then began to wait unbearably.

——————

"Father, why don't you come and sit down."

Zhu Gaosui, who was wearing a red-gold dragon robe, was restless as if his body was crawling with ants.

Zhu Di put his hands on his hips, hiding in the blind corner of his sight and laughing.

"Now you are the emperor, you sit and I stand."

Jin Zhong and Jin Youzi looked at each other, and it could be seen that the emperor was in a good mood. The rebels had been wiped out by the second prince, and they could finally continue to watch the ring competition with peace of mind.

Zhu Di asked with a smile.

"Now, who is more favored between Gao Xunzhi and Zhuo Jing?"

Although the Ming Dynasty did not love Guanpu as much as the Song Dynasty, the folk custom still existed, especially in the Jiangnan area. Therefore, since it was a semi-public arena competition held by the court, it was almost natural for some to be the banker and others to place bets.

Jin Youzi replied: "Generally speaking, we are more optimistic about Gao Xunzhi."

"How many rounds can Gao Xunzhi defeat Zhuo Jing?" Zhu Difu asked again.

Jin Youzi hesitated for a moment and replied.

"One round."

"Um?"

Seeing that Zhu Di was a little confused, Jin Youzi quickly explained: "Gao Xunzhibian is known for being sharp and outspoken, and hitting the nail on the head. The outcome is always decided in one round, and it is either victory or defeat. It rarely lasts until two rounds." of."

Jin Zhong echoed: "I have also heard that Gao Xunzhi always wins with speed and never gives his opponent any chance. As long as he seizes the slightest flaw, he will definitely kill the enemy."

Zhu Di suddenly understood and nodded in agreement: "If that's the case, then it looks good today."

Indeed, Zhu Di's face became very pretty in the next moment.

In the ring, Gao Xunzhi came up and unleashed his self-destructive move.

"There is only one principle in the world, so it is difficult to extend it to the four seas. We must examine the heavens and the earth and examine the difficult principles of the three generations.

Although the Han Dynasty could not restore the rule of the Three Dynasties, it still respected the emperor and subordinates and respected honor and integrity.

However, after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, customs became worse and worse. They were not ashamed to rebel against the emperor, and they were not considered wrong when they committed crimes. It can be said that they only followed interests and ignored honor and integrity, which led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty. "

There is basically no need for translation. What Gao Xunzhi means is that the principles of the world are etiquette and justice. This has been understood since the third generation. Although the Han Dynasty was not as good as the three generations, it did a good job. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has become more and more rubbish, and the trend has become more and more rubbish. It became more and more corrupt, so there was the decline of the Tang Dynasty.

In other words, according to the historical experience and lessons from the Three Dynasties to the Han and Tang Dynasties, if we do not talk about etiquette and righteousness and the three cardinal principles and five constant principles, the corruption of social atmosphere is inevitable. Therefore, governing the world must put etiquette and righteousness first, emphasizing the importance of ethics and morality in the process of governing the country. role.

Judging from these words alone, there is nothing wrong with what Gao Xunzhi said.

But Zhuo Jing's lips kept silently signaling Gao Xunzhi.

".Stop talking. Stop talking."

However, Gao Xunzhi, who was kneeling in front of him, didn't care at all and continued to speak loudly.

"Since Li Shimin, there has been no discussion of the order of superiority or inferiority or the principles of right and wrong. The Tang Dynasty and the Yi have followed the same path. During the Five Dynasties, the world was in ruins. Those with strong soldiers and horses were kings. No one knew what etiquette and justice were."

In Zhuo Jing's messy eyes, Gao Xunzhi completed the final kill.

"The governance of a country is based on propriety. Which one is more important than propriety and righteousness when it comes to governing the world?"

Zhuo Jing stood up and said crisply.

"--I surrender."

Then he cupped his hands and walked off the ring without looking back. He didn't want to stay for a second longer or make a comment.

Sure enough, one round determines the outcome.

Strictly speaking, it was not Gao Xunzhi who defeated Zhuo Jing, but Zhu Di.

Gao Xunzhi dared to say this because he risked his life just to win.

Everyone in the audience was aware of this, so there was not even an uproar. The scene with so many people was so quiet that the only sound was breathing. To exaggerate, you could hear a needle drop.

At this time, what everyone was concerned about was not losing money and making money, but whether Emperor Yongle would kill someone in anger.

Of course, no one in the audience dared to raise their head to spy on the face of the "Emperor" behind the second-floor window next to him.

But the "Emperor" was almost crying at this time.

"Father, if I want to kill or chop you, please say something." Zhu Gaosui, who was wearing Zhu Di's dragon robe, did not dare to look back and whispered.

"boom"

Zhu Di swept all the cups of tea on the table to the floor.

Like his father, he never showed his emotions or anger. The emperor of the Lao Zhu family would kill people when he was angry, but he never kept his anger in his heart until he became ill.

As for the expression of emotion and anger, it is only played by those who are unable to lift the table.

Zhu Gaochi was also frightened and shrank his neck.

This scene seemed familiar.

Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Fang Xiaoru, Lian Zining, Jing Qing.

One name after another flashed through Zhu Gaochi's mind.

"Father, calm down, there is no need for such fanatics to be like him." Zhu Gaochi quickly comforted him.

In the end, Zhu Di snorted coldly.

"For the sake of the arena competition organized by the National Master, I will let him go. If he does it next time, he will not be spared."

The debate between Gao Xunzhi and Zhuo Jing about "righteousness and benefit" was finally over, but Zhu Di's words made many people tremble with fear.

A big eunuch wearing a scarlet robe came down and warned Gao Xunzhi and Cao Duan, and the matter was gently revealed.

The third game is between Gao Xunzhi and Zhang Yuchu, with the theme of "Wang Ba".

Here we must briefly introduce the origin and background of the Wang Ba Debate, otherwise it will be difficult to understand why in the turmoil of the ideological world in the first year of Yongle, the Wang Ba Debate was another extremely important point of contention after the Righteousness and Benefit Debate, because this It directly involves the ideological dispute between Mencius, who is highly praised by Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, and Xunzi, who is highly respected by Jiang Xinghuo's New School.

The terms kingly way and hegemony were first proposed by Mencius, which is Mencius’ view on what route a monarch should take to govern the country. Mencius’s definition of the so-called kingly way is “the one who conquers others with virtue”; the so-called hegemonic way, Mencius’ definition The definition of "hegemony" is "the one who conquers others with force". To put it simply, "kingly way" means that the monarch relies on his own virtue to influence all the people in the world and make all people in the world be convinced, while "hegemony" means that the monarch relies on his own country. If military strength forces a conquest, the conquered people will be dissatisfied and even resentful.

Mencius said that the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period achieved temporary glory because of their "hegemony", but it was precisely because of their hegemony that they did not continue.

Therefore, from the perspective of Mencius's theory of kings and hegemons, it means that using "hegemony" to govern a country can only make it temporarily strong. Only by choosing the "king way" to stabilize the country can it truly win the heartfelt love of the people.

Xunzi lived in a later era than Mencius. Mencius felt that the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period were fleeting, but what Xunzi saw was that the heroes of the Warring States Period "big fish eat small fish" and generally devoured the surrounding countries. Who could eat more? Who will live longer? Therefore, it is precisely because of the different historical backgrounds that Xunzi put forward a completely different theory of king hegemony from Mencius.

Through his own research on the development history of various vassal states, Xunzi came to the conclusion that simply implementing the "kingly way" would not succeed. Therefore, Xunzi believed that the monarch should achieve both "kingly way" and "hegemony" at the same time, even in a certain period. In the historical period, "hegemony" must be the main focus, in order to truly strengthen the country and enrich the people.

For example, the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period used "tyranny" to realize their political ambitions, but because they had no "kingly" ideas, they quickly declined; but the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period who were born next still practiced "tyranny", but learned to shout "benevolence and righteousness" The slogan used "benevolence and justice" as an excuse to carry out military annexations, but these countries were all successful. None of them convinced people with virtue. They all forced the people of the enemy country to surrender, but no one suffered anything. Unbearable consequences.

Therefore, Xunzi believes that Mencius’s theory of kings and hegemons is too idealistic. Xunzi’s conclusion is: “If the king’s laws are followed by those who are kings, they will also be kings; if they follow the laws of kings and those who are kings, they will also be kings. , but in fact, the situation in the Warring States Period was that "Longli respected the virtuous and became the king, valued the law and loved the people, and hegemony". In other words, the princes respected the etiquette and respected the talented, which was the real "kingly way"; the princes valued the law and cherished the people. , belongs to the real "hegemony", not the kind in Mencius' concept.

It is precisely because the debate between kings and hegemons involves not only the disputes in the real temple, but also the ideological disputes between the saints respected by the two factions, so this duel is particularly important, even more than the previous debate between justice and benefit.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion around the ring, which attracted the attention of Zhu Di and others.

Zhang Yuchu was seen holding a piece of paper in his hand and staring at Gao Xunzhi with a gloomy expression.

"What's going on? Why hasn't the start of the competition been announced yet?"

Seeing that his father did not ask, Zhu Gaochi frowned and asked the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch just went upstairs and hurriedly ran down to investigate. Then he turned back and reported to Zhu Di in a low voice:

"Back to Your Majesty, just now Gao Xunzhi planned to change the original rules."

Before he finished speaking, Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qi State, questioned him: "Who asked them to change the rules?"

The eunuch lowered his head and said nothing, thinking that he was not to blame for this.

When Zhu Di encountered such a thing, he would definitely not give up. He then ordered the eunuch next to him: "Go and find me Dong Lun, who is hosting the competition."

Yes, Dong Lun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had recently retired and returned to his hometown, was invited back to preside over the competition this time. As Xie Jin's former supporter, only he had sufficient qualifications, status, prestige, talent, and impartiality.

After all, when Lao Zhu was still alive, he had given the three characters "Yi Laotang" in the imperial book for him to use for his official career. Lao Zhu was willing to part with the utensils that he was used to, such as the jade muji and the jade dove staff. , showing Dong Lun’s prestige and status.

Soon Dong Lun came up and said: "I'm going to pay homage to Your Majesty."

"No gift."

Zhu Di pointed to Gao Xunzhi and Zhang Yuchu on the outside ring and asked, "What's going on? I asked you to prepare for the competition, but you messed up the competition rules."

Dong Lun explained with a grimace: "Your Majesty, it was Gao Xunzhi who suggested that in order to avoid the torment just now, we should speed up the pace of the game and shorten the thinking time by half. Both sides agreed that it was feasible, and this changed The way the game is played.”

Yes, Wang Yuli, who almost fainted on the ring just now, and the rising sun made both sides unanimously agree to the proposal to speed up the pace of the game.

After all, except for Cao Duan, the remaining Gao Xunzhi, Yao Guangxiao, and Zhang Yuchu are not young anymore. If they really get into a fierce battle, this is not "The Legend of Heaven and Dragon Sword". There is no saying that the older you get, the better you can fight. The older you are, the better you are. Can't help but consume.

This kind of fast-paced game is actually not conducive to Cao Duan's war of attrition, so Gao Xunzhi proposed it, and the defending side had no reason not to accept it.

After Zhu Di listened to Dong Lun's words, he was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "This is indeed a good idea, but I hope to change it only once."

"According to the order."

Dong Lun responded respectfully, feeling relieved that he was finally fooled. Emperor Yongle's patience seemed pretty good today.

Jin Youzi said cautiously: "Your Majesty, maybe they think that a short time is enough for them to know the results, and this may not be in line with Duke Rong's wishes."

This sentence immediately reminded Zhu Di.

"exactly."

Jin Zhong, the second-ranking military advisor of the Yan Army, touched his beard and said with a smile: "If they are debating scriptures, they are the masters among the masters. I guess it is not difficult to decide the winner in one stick of incense."

Jin Zhong and Jin Youzi looked at each other and smiled. They knew that this proposal was indeed Gao Xunzhi's idea, but the one who could really decide and agree was Yao Guangxiao, the final gatekeeper.

"In that case, I'll wait and see."

"Your Majesty, what if the challenger wins?"

Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo, suddenly asked.

Zhu Di shook his head and said: "Impossible, the old monk is a smart man, he will never make mistakes. Moreover"

His eyes moved to Yao Guangxiao in the distance, seemingly with deep meaning.

Zhu Neng was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was doing, thinking that he had some trump card that he didn't know about.

Zhu Neng has known Yao Guangxiao for many years, and he knows that the old monk will never fight an unprepared battle.

In the arena.

The defender still has the initiative in the first round.

If Wang Yuli and Zhuo Jing are the kind of players who first try out two moves and then hide the needle in the cotton to determine the outcome, then when it comes to Gao Xunzhi and Zhang Yuchu, their styles have obviously changed greatly. Both of them pay attention to catching their opponents. Don't let go of your weak points, and use the power of thunder to defeat them quickly.

Zhang Yuchu is not a Confucian, and naturally he does not have any gentlemanly demeanor. He cherishes this opportunity to take the lead and does not hesitate to attack the "flaw" Gao Xunzhi just exposed.

Yes, Gao Xunzhi only said a few words when he defeated Zhuo Jing, but Zhang Yuchu had already found the flaw.

This is the reason why in the game of debate, it is difficult for experts to pick out the bullies. Not only does the more you talk, the more your cards are exposed, but also the flaws will be exposed.

Zhang Yuchu said:

"In the seventh year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin summoned his ministers to gather in the Xiande Hall to discuss how to govern the country.

Wei Zheng said: If the sages transform and the top and bottom are of the same mind, people will respond like a sound, not too fast but quickly, and it will be possible within a few months. It will not be difficult to believe, and it will be successful in three years, but it is still too late.

Feng Deyi said to him: After three generations, people gradually corrupted them. Therefore, the Qin Dynasty established laws and the Han Dynasty mixed tyranny. They all wanted to be transformed but couldn't. How can they be transformed but not want to be transformed? If we believe what Wei Zheng said, we might defeat the country and cause chaos. "

There were constant voices of surprise and doubt among the crowd. This is a famous allusion about the debate between kings and hegemons in "Zhenguan Politicians". Usually, Wei Zheng, who insists on his own opinion, and the final result prove the correctness of following the king's way. However, this does not seem to be true. It should have come from the mouth of Zhang Yuchu, who was guarding the ring, right?

What's going on, what I say to you leaves you speechless?

But Cao Duan, who was sitting in the audience, looked slightly more solemn. He straightened his back and stared intently at Gao Xunzhi's reaction on the stage.

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Yuchu will show off his skills from the beginning.

Zhang Yuchu's words continued.

"Wei Zheng replied: The five emperors and the three kings cannot be transformed by others. If you follow the emperor's way, you will be an emperor, and if you follow the king's way, you will be a king. It is just based on what was understood at the time. It can be seen from the examination of the records. If people gradually make mistakes, , is not as simple as it is simple, and it should be understood that it is a ghost by now. Would you rather recover it and teach it?

Taizong worked tirelessly every time. Within a few years, the sea was prosperous and the Turks were destroyed. He told his officials: In the early days of Zhenguan, everyone had different opinions, saying that it is impossible to practice the emperor's way or the king's way today. Only Wei Zheng persuaded me. After following his words, within a few years, China was at peace, and the soldiers from far away were in uniform. The Turks have always been China's powerful enemy since ancient times. Now the chiefs are guarding with swords, and the tribes are all dressed in clothes. It is all the power of Wei Zheng that brought me here. .

"Zi Zhi Tong Jian" also records: In the past twenty years, the customs were simple, the clothes were not rich, and the public and private wealth was abundant. "

A teasing smile appeared on Zhang Yuchu's dark and fat face.

"Gao Taichang just said that since Li Shimin, there is no longer any discussion of the order of honor and inferiority, right and wrong, so that in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, no one knew what etiquette and justice were. However, Li Shimin acted in a royal way and valued utilitarianism, so he had to say this. According to Gao Taichang, If Li Shimin is domineering and values ​​etiquette and justice, is it the opposite?"

This is a typical example of digging a hole and jumping out of it.

Since Gao Xunzhi just used Li Shimin as a metaphor for Zhu Di and gave Li Shimin a character in order to defeat Zhuo Jing, it is natural that it is not easy to reflexively say that Li Shimin did the right thing at this time. Wait, is there something wrong?

Couldn't Gao Xunzhi, while denying Li Shimin's lack of etiquette and justice, praise Li Shimin's kingly conduct that led to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty? Although Wangba, righteousness and benefit are usually mixed and entangled propositions, it seems possible to cut them off in the middle.

Normally it is okay but not now, because if Gao Xunzhi makes a dichotomy, then Zhu Di will have a basis to support Jiang Xinghuo's reform.

This means that the fundamental purpose of debating scriptures is not to win or lose, but to serve the temple of reality.

Whether he is kingly or overbearing, or a combination of kingly and domineering, it all depends on Zhu Di's words.

If you cut off Wang Ba's righteousness and interests yourself, then it is equivalent to handing a knife to the reformists.

Therefore, it cannot be cut.

And even if it was forcible cutting, if Li Shimin could do it, why couldn't Zhu Di do it? Zhu Di can also rule the world by practicing the king's way (or a combination of the king's way and the overbearing way) without violating etiquette and justice.

From the perspective of future generations, Zhu Di did indeed do this in the next twenty years. However, just as people in the seventh year of Zhenguan did not know what Li Shimin would turn the Tang Dynasty into, people in the first year of Yongle also did not know what Li Shimin would turn the Tang Dynasty into. I don’t know what achievements Zhu Di will achieve.

So the current debate seems to be about the past, but in fact it is about the future.

Zhang Yuchu, the fat black man, was quite cunning. No matter which answer Gao Xunzhi chose in the first round, he would lose.

After Cao Duan, some people soon figured it out. They all looked nervously at Gao Xunzhi on the stage, waiting for what method he would use to solve the problem.

And the hourglass after the revised rules is passing quickly.

There is not much time left for Gao Xunzhi.

——————

There is also not much time left for Li Jinglong.

Li Jinglong realized that if he could stop Bao Zhao's conspiracy and cooperate with his achievements in Japan, then he would be able to regain Zhu Di's trust and return to the core of the Ming Dynasty temple, so he had to do it beautifully.

Li Jinglong thought quickly for a moment, and then asked: "Jiang Lang, under what circumstances do you think Bao Zhao has such a small number of people, can he hide his face and sneak in to assassinate him?"

The two of them said almost in unison: "Fire! And it's a big fire!"

Yes, only when there was a fire did they have sufficient reason to cover their faces to avoid the thick smoke; similarly, only when the fire caused chaos could these dozens of people sneak in without conspicuousness or being interrogated.

"Then how do you get in?"

Jiang Xinghuo gave examples one by one: "Are they going to be disguised as royal guards, or the fire soldiers of the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division, or the fire soldiers in the shop?"

Here we have to briefly introduce the firefighting work in Nanjing in the early Ming Dynasty.

The fire protection in Nanjing City is divided into three parts. The fire protection in the palace city is in charge of the eunuchs specialized in the inner court; the fire protection in the imperial city is in charge of the Jinwu Guards and other imperial guards; the fire protection in Nanjing outside the imperial city is in charge of the Five Cities Military and Horse Command Department. .

The Five Cities Military and Horse Command Department has a professional firefighting force - fire soldiers.

Fire soldiers are mainly used to defend against fires caused by enemy fire attacks and other daily fire hazards. There are hundreds of people. They are usually on standby in the duty room near the Drum Tower in the center of the city. They are equipped with complete buckets, rattan buckets, mats, bamboo ladders, and axes. , saws and other fire-fighting equipment.

Of course, it is impossible for the fire soldiers under the Five Cities Military and Horse Command Department to take care of the city of Nanjing with a population of one million. Then there are hundreds of "red shops" in Nanjing according to different neighborhoods, and each shop has a shop. There are eight to ten people in the bunkhouse, and they belong to a semi-official firefighting organization. In addition to beds for the firemen to rest and avoid rain and snow, there are also fire hooks, buckets and other fire-fighting equipment. The firefighters also have some firefighting equipment. As husbands, they take turns keeping watch at night, ringing the watch and bell to remind people to pay attention to fire thieves.

Li Jinglong first eliminated an answer, and then came to his own conclusion: "They can't pretend to be fire soldiers and fire soldiers. Fire soldiers and fire soldiers have to put out fires. If they don't do it in a few seconds, their secrets will be revealed immediately, and fire soldiers and fire soldiers can't hold weapons. The soldiers can only carry axes and saws, and cannot carry normal weapons. If they want to sneak in fully armed, they must disguise themselves as Jinyi guards, because other guards do not have the authority to move around at will."

Jiang Xinghuo pondered: "In the thick smoke and chaos, no one dared to stop the Hebei-accented Jin Yiwei. It is reasonable to cover his face. I am afraid no one can recognize it, but how to create a fire? Rely on black gunpowder? "

Li Jinglong looked at Jiang Xinghuo and said, "You know the situation around the prison better than I do."

"I know."

Jiang Xinghuo was also a little confused. It was precisely because he knew that the buildings around the prison were under control. There was no possibility of burying a large amount of black powder or firewood, coal, or fire oil, and it was impossible to light a fire from a distance to create chaos on the scene. The effect was so puzzling to him.

As for the person who sneaked into the scene and lit a fire on the street, it was even more unreliable. He was afraid that the Jin Yiwei would catch him before the flames were lit.

"According to normal methods, it is not feasible. The building in the center of the scene must be lit to cause chaos. But such a large building, although it is made of wood, needs a large amount of black powder, firewood, Coal, fire oil and other flammable materials cannot be transported on the road, let alone dig tunnels. Wait!"

Jiang Xinghuo suddenly thought of something.

"What would Bao Zhao do?" Li Jinglong asked quickly. He had not thought about this question at all.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled bitterly: "I know the answer."

"hot air balloon."

Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly realized.

"Yes, I'm afraid only the hot air balloon you invented can do this, and there is indeed no shortage of soldiers who dare to die in Baozhao. I heard in the letter that when you went to Jiangnan to quell the chaos, in the city of Nanjing The development and release of hot-air balloons became popular for a while. Many students from the Imperial College made hot-air balloons, but some of them fell to death. However, it was indeed possible for Bao Zhao to make hot-air balloons, or fill them with kerosene and use them. To create chaos by igniting buildings. But if this inference is true, how can we find the location of the hot air balloon deployed by Bao Zhao? Do we need to rely on a large rope to move across the city? "

"There is a way."

Jiang Xinghuo explained: "First, the city is now a no-fly zone. Even if the hot air balloon is not deployed, it is still very large, and there are few spacious places to take off and land in the city, and they are usually outside the city; second, When flying a hot air balloon, you need to look at the wind direction, and the southeast wind blows in Nanjing in summer."

That is to say, since hot air balloons became popular, the imperial court soon issued an order prohibiting them from flying within a radius of fifty miles around Nanjing. The reason is also very simple. These things fly high and can spy on the palaces and imperial mausoleums.

Therefore, if a hot air balloon appeared in the city, it would have been reported and caught, and people would be rewarded for reporting it to the government.

"So we can use mathematical methods to calculate a rough area."

"Since it is assumed that Bao Zhao uses hot air balloons to create fire and chaos, then his hot air balloons must be arranged outside the city in the southeast direction of the prison, and considering that there cannot be detours or it will give the city enough warning time, then the angle should be Between 15-25°, that’s the range.”

Jiang Xinghuo roughly drew a northwest-southeast hot air balloon flight path on the ground. It was quite similar to the skydiving route he used when playing chicken in his previous life. Then he used the prison as the center and cut it out with two lines. A fan chart.

Li Jinglong looked at the area drawn on the ground and frowned: "If we take off from outside the city, I'm afraid it will be too late to search now."

Jiang Xinghuo said simply: "Prepare two hands to search and prevent takeoff, and one hand to intercept in the air."

"Aerial interception?"

This is a term that Li Jinglong has never heard of.

"Well, now that the flight direction and area of ​​the enemy's hot air balloon have been measured, we can completely rely on saturation take-off to achieve air interception and let people blow up their hot air balloon in the air."

"Use a crossbow?"

"The crossbow is useless. It can only punch a hole in the hot-air balloon, and it will fly without a hitch. You have to use a musket to fire shotgun, which can not only break the balloon's bladder, but also directly ignite the fire oil."

Jiang Xinghuo called to several of his attendants: "You go to the War Bureau first to get their newly developed heavy-duty firecrackers, and then come to the Eagle Guard to find me."

Several people obeyed the order and left.

Seeing that Li Jinglong was still where he was, Jiang Xinghuo patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's go to Eagle Guard. There are always new ways in the new era."

——————

The people at the Bible debate had no idea that a Ming Dynasty version of the Nine Demons might be about to come. They were still watching Gao Xunzhi and Zhang Yuchu nervously on the stage.

Before the hourglass ran out, Gao Xunzhi finally spoke.

He did not choose from the two answers given by Zhang Yuchu, but found his own way.

"To achieve the righteousness of heaven's principles and to achieve the highest level of human relations is the way of Yao and Shun; to use one's own selfish motives to rely on benevolence and righteousness is the doing of a hegemon."

As soon as these words came out, Cao Duan in the audience couldn't help but praise.

"Wonderful!"

Gao Xunzhi's answer is indeed very clever.

Zhang Yuchu gave two options, ① royal way + utilitarianism ② domineering + etiquette and justice.

Gao Xunzhi did not choose any one, but said that as long as it complies with the laws of nature and human ethics, that is, in compliance with the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules, then in terms of etiquette and justice, it is the kingly way of the ancestors like Yao and Shun; but if it is for selfish reasons, even if it is to follow the kingly way, benevolence and righteousness, but In fact, I have traveled all over the world, but essentially what I do is still the business of being a hegemon, that is, being domineering.

This statement may be a bit shameless in the eyes of future generations. Is it possible to judge things by "discussing the heart but not the deeds"? Could it be that Li Shimin governed the Tang Dynasty very well by following the royal way, but in the end he was said to be selfish, and he was not considered a king, but only a hegemon?

However, under the moral evaluation system of the early Ming Dynasty, what Gao Xunzhi said was indeed correct.

Is it true that a gentleman ignores his deeds and his heart? Wrong, the prerequisite for cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world is cultivating one's mind. As the saying goes, "If you want to cultivate your body, you must first rectify your mind; if you want to rectify your mind, you must first be sincere in your intentions." If the starting point of your heart is also your " If "meaning" is crooked, then no matter what you do, the result will be crooked, even if what you do is right.

Therefore, on the premise that Li Shimin is "insincere", no matter how many things Li Shimin has done and how good he has created, he will still be a hegemon and can never become a king.

"The ancestors of the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty were wise kings. However, the fundamental reason is that people want to cause trouble instead of pursuing heaven's principles. Therefore, they cannot follow the rules of etiquette and justice, that's all."

"Three generations of ancestors ruled the world by Tao rather than by law. Later generations will do the opposite. However, if a tyrant follows the king's way, follows the laws of his ancestors, and strictly abides by the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules, he can still govern the world, but if he changes it at any time, he will not be able to govern the world. Existence."

Zhu Di's blood pressure was already rising.

Listen, is this human talk? Do you still want to live?

What does it mean to "exercise the king's way as a hegemon, follow the laws of the ancestors, strictly abide by the Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Five Constant Rules, and still maintain the governance of the world"?

It means that Zhu Di can govern the country with benevolence and righteousness, abide by Lao Zhu's laws and the traditions of the Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Five Constant Rules, and still be able to secure the throne. As long as you, the kid, mess around on your own, the world will soon be in chaos.

It wasn't over yet, Gao Xunzhi made another stab.

"The second generation of the Qin Dynasty died, and later generations mourned and ignored it. Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty acted domineeringly, abolished the laws of Emperor Wen, and disrupted the old customs. The second generation of Qin also died. It was for this reason that Li Shimin listened to Wei Zheng's words and acted in the king's way. It leads to the rule of Zhenguan."

Hearing Gao Xunzhi use Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty as a metaphor for himself, Zhu Di's blood pressure was completely full.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Yuchu's blood pressure was almost full.

"Since Li Shimin, there has been no discussion of the order of superiority or inferiority or the principles of right and wrong. This statement is true."

"Li Shimin followed the royal way and valued utility. This statement is true."

"You are called a 'Master of Taoism', but the fundamental reason why you are confused today is that you are just reading dead books and not understanding the meaning of the scriptures."

"The three cardinal principles and five constant principles are actually the principles of heaven. Heaven understands all things and solves them easily."

I have to say that the styles of Gao Xunzhi and Wang Yuli are really completely different. He has no mercy for others. He would not say anything about himself, but also mocked Zhang Yuchu.

But he happened to solve the dilemma proposed by Zhang Yuchu, and he solved it extremely beautifully.

Zhang Yuchu took a deep breath and remembered the various emergency plans that Jiang Xinghuo had given them before.

Under this situation, Zhang Yuchu knew that it would be very difficult for him to defeat Gao Xunzhi with his own strength, because after a short confrontation, Zhang Yuchu knew that Gao Xunzhi was stronger than before.

The two had fought against each other in the Hongwu Dynasty, and Zhang Yuchu had one win and two losses at that time.

Now the chance of winning is slim. If Jiang Xinghuo doesn't teach him his unique skills, he may not be able to wait for Zhu Di's punishment from heaven, and he will be rendered speechless by Gao Xunzhi's profound theoretical skills and sharp offensive.

Zhang Yuchu looked at Gao Xunzhi and spoke slowly.

“You say that the Three Cardinal Principles and the Five Constant Principles are the way of heaven and earth and the supreme principles of the world.

However, between heaven and earth, what is not Tao?

The sun is shining brightly in the sky, and everything is bright.

He who closes his eyes opens his eyes.

How can it be that the whole world is blind and cannot share this light? "

Since you are shameless, you must pay attention to your character and ignore your traces.

Well, I will do as you wish today.

Let you see what true "discussing the mind" means, and let you see what "idealism" means.

What can I say about my bright heart?