Xia Yunyi, who is in his early 30s, has thick eyebrows and a Chinese face, although his appearance does not meet the weak and handsome appearance that the southern scholars like, but he is also a dignified character.

Xia Yunyi, who is known as a famous man in the clouds, is not only very rigorous in his studies, but also very stubborn in character.

He is a person who has always believed that the heavens will not change and the Tao will not change. However, after staying in the capital for more than half a year, he has always had an unwavering belief in his own Tao, but he has not only wavered.

The Xia family has been a scholarly family for generations, and is a big landowner in Songjiang Huating, Xia Yunyi has been concentrating on learning since he was sensible, and he has never cared about the affairs of the market.

Before going to Beijing, although he may feel a little extravagant about the dazzling array of delicacies on the table in front of him, he will not feel that he can't afford these people.

Except for the green dragon, he often saw other dishes even in his own home, and he didn't feel anything valuable.

However, since he went to Beijing, he and his classmates often went to Yenching University to distinguish righteousness and benefit with those new bachelors because they were not angry with new students, and at this time he finally had a little understanding of the current life of the small people.

Although Xia Yunyi has a stubborn personality, he is still a young man among scholars after all, and he has not yet become the kind of scientific guardian who closes his eyes, nose, ears and eyes and rejects anything new.

The longer he argued with the scholars who admired the new learning, the more he began to realize that the words of the saints were always a bit tickling through the boots.

After all, the era in which Confucius and Mencius lived was thousands of years apart from today, and the words of some saints are no longer suitable for the present. And many of the problems that arise in the Ming Dynasty today obviously never appeared in the time of the sages, so there is no way to find solutions from the scriptures.

The last person to interpret Confucian scriptures and establish the current Confucian standard system was Zhu Xi sage in the Southern Song Dynasty, which is more than 500 years away from today.

Although it has gone through the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and with the painstaking efforts of countless Confucian scholars, the science that originated in Zhu Xi has become a very strict Confucian system, and is also officially regarded as Confucian orthodoxy.

Even Zhu Xi himself was carried to: Zong Confucius and Meng, the master of Confucianism. on the high standing. However, with the continuous development of industry and commerce in the Ming Dynasty, especially the emergence of large-scale handicrafts in the south of the Yangtze River, the science of science, which was binding people's hearts and emphasizing the nobility and lowliness of social hierarchy, became the target of attack by emerging industrialists and merchants.

The Taizhou School, which advocates the true truth and the expression of true feelings, is particularly profound in exposing the hypocrisy of Taoists, and they criticize Taoists, "Yang is Taoism, Yin is wealthy, and they are served elegantly, and they act like dogs." Or "talk about morality and have a high official in mind, and aspire to be rich" and so on.

However, the Taizhou School was long in attacking theories and short in building its own ideological system, and although it shook the foundation of the physical system, it did not establish a new and complete social value.

The scholars who admired Li Zhen's learning did not learn the profound knowledge of Li Zhen's reading of hundreds of classics, but instead took a few words from Li Zhen's lectures and regarded them as classics.

In particular, the emancipation of individuality and freedom of thought advocated by Li Zhen. It has become the pursuit of strange costumes and flaunting its differences. He also took the pursuit of famous prostitutes and chaotic relationships between men and women as the head of the celebrity style, and directly brought the newly thriving anti-rational* stream to the pit.

Although the bureaucratic landlord class in Jiangnan had made a lot of money by investing in handicrafts, they were quite resistant to the theory of strict social hierarchy.

But they have not opened up to the chaos of indulging their children in the sound of dogs and horses, and there is no distinction between the old and the young in society.

Therefore, after the short-term prosperity of the Taizhou School, the gentry and bureaucracy in Jiangnan began to pursue again, and the ancients who stabilized people's hearts and stabilized the class began to learn. This is also the reason why Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai, Xia Yunyi and other scholars who advocate retro can become famous in their hometown.

When these scholars came to the capital and heard about the newly popular new school in the original Taixue, they immediately disagreed, thinking that this was just a variant of the Taizhou school that was left over in Jiangnan.

But when they ran to Yenching University in high spirits, trying to convince these scholars who had fallen into the evil world with their knowledge, they found that the new school in the capital was too different from the Taizhou school.

Those who study Xinxue may not have as many outstanding Confucian scholars as the Taizhou School, nor do they have any illustrious heritage, nor do they even promote their ideas by attacking Daoists.

But one thing that is far stronger than the Taizhou school is that its purpose from the beginning is very clear, it did not appear to overthrow the society established by Confucianism, but to let ordinary people correctly understand the reality of the world.

No matter how perfect the system of Confucianism is, the world described in this system is still only the world constructed by the two sages of Confucius and Mencius, and except for a very small number of great Confucians, no one can imagine whether this world really exists.

Whether it is an ordinary person or an ordinary scholar, it is only through the Confucian classics and the commentaries of Great Confucianism that we can see how wonderful the perfect society described by this sage is.

However, no matter how perfect the Confucian theory is, the real society established by following this theoretical system will always become absurd and unorthodox.

In the classics of Confucius and Mencius, Confucian scholars who read poetry and books can appear as long as they abide by the scriptures and righteousness to guide their own lives: "Choose the virtuous and capable, and emphasize faith and harmony." Therefore a man does not kiss his own kinsman, nor does he have only his son. So that the old have the end, the strong have use, and the young have growth. Widows, widows, lonely and sick people are all supported. "Such a perfect society.

But in fact, the Ming Dynasty, who governed the country according to the way of Confucius and Mencius, was one: choosing jackals and tigers and leopards, treacherously discordant. A man is alone with his own mother, and only with his son. The old have no end, the strong have no use, and the young have no strengths. Widows, widows, lonely and sick people have nothing to support. of the real society.

The scholars, who were buried in the pile of old papers, always looked for a solution in several scriptures and classics, trying to understand why a society that clearly followed the way of Confucius and Mencius had achieved the opposite result.

After most scholars seek a solution in the scriptures, they will think that this is the result of villains flooding the court, and righteous men and gentlemen living in the four fields, so the righteous path is not working.

If you want to put things right, regain the right path, and change the ugly reality around you, you must let the righteous man and gentleman come to power and uphold the country.

Xia Yunyi is such a young man who deeply embraces the science of changing reality. He has never doubted the path he adheres to.

It wasn't until he met those new bachelors at Yenching University who were down-to-earth and empirically proved that their cognition was correct that he felt a little uneasy.

As these scholars who advocate new learning say, if you want to change the world, you must first understand what the world is like.

Even if a farmer wants to cultivate a new plant, he must first understand the growth habits of the plant before he can transplant and cultivate this new crop.

I don't understand what the world I live in, but I put the sage's subtle words on my lips, and I want to change the world. It's just a fool who asks for fish from wood and carves a boat for a sword.

Basically, when Confucius and Mencius were alive, did they change the society at that time with their words? When the two saints were alive, they were not able to realize their ideals and build a world of great harmony without strife.

Isn't it ridiculous that you Confucianists now confine yourself to the scriptures and dare not open your eyes to the world, but want to use the words left by the two sages to achieve their ideals.

The more he argued with these new scholars, the more Xia Yunyi got a glimpse of how magnificent and huge the new world that these new scholars wanted to study and understand.

Compared with Confucianism, which has basically matured and stabilized, Xinxue is like a new sprout that has just emerged, although it looks weak and immature, but it is full of vitality.

Studying the Six Classics is like collecting ore in a cave that has been depleted of ore veins, and you may not be able to find a piece in your lifetime.

But for the scholars who study new learning, it is like knocking on the ice fishing on the lake in winter, you are not ready, the fish at the bottom of the lake can't wait to jump into your arms.

In just over half a year, Xia Yunyi witnessed with his own eyes how Xinxue has rapidly developed from a crude and shallow craftsman's learning to an increasingly rigorous and esoteric knowledge system.

This change gave him the same feeling as when he studied history books and watched a dynasty rise and fall for a few days. If he wants to make a comment on this life in the capital, it is like a world away.

After hearing Zhang Pu's inquiry, Xia Yunyi shook his head, and said with a calm face: "It's just a debate, how can Yu go to his heart." It's just that for Brother Yunsheng's warm treatment, Yu is a little ashamed and doesn't dare to accept it.

Although those newly learned scholars are rebellious and rude, there is a saying that is not bad, they don't know the suffering of the small people, and how to ask for the people's lives.

ate a banquet of more than ten taels and one seats, but said that the court was too exploitative and disregarded the people's livelihood, after all, it was still a little inappropriate.

The tax revenue of the imperial court is the only way to govern the country and secure the people. Ignoring the reality of various places, or blindly opposing them, or arbitrarily raising taxes, after all, is nothing more than hypocrisy.

Since we claim to uphold the right path, manage the turbidity of the government and government, and relieve the sufferings of the small people, should we set an example and stop being so profligate and wasteful? ”

Xia Yunyi's words suddenly disappointed many of the scholars present, and Li Wen also showed some unswerving expressions.

Zhang Pu looked at the faces of the scholars present, suddenly smiled, and said in a round field: "Brother Yunsheng is just a good intention, and what Brother Yi said is quite reasonable, but the wine and food that has been ordered for the banquet can't be returned anymore."

It's better to look at it like this, I'm Yan * The next time we get together, no matter who is the east, the cost is not allowed to exceed 8 taels, let's take it as an example, how about it? ”

Zhu Wei immediately echoed: "What Brother Ximing said is good, it's better not to take it as an example." Don't waste Brother Yunsheng's kindness today. Besides, since Your Majesty released this splendid lobster out of the palace, isn't it for everyone to eat, I don't think Your Majesty will think that eating this thing is too extravagant..."

Xia Yunyi suddenly frowned and glanced at Zhu Wei, and said in a somewhat stiff tone: "Even if Your Majesty thinks so, can I enjoy it so comfortably?" Since the disasters in Shaanxi, Gyeonggi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, His Majesty has ordered the palace to reduce food.

Now His Majesty himself does not eat one dish and one soup at noon, and two dishes and one soup at night, and eats coarse grains for two out of three days, and refuses to eat the meat of cattle and sheep.

When you look at the wine and food in front of you, don't you feel ashamed? I am not feeling well today, so I will not accompany you. ”

Xia Yunyi arched his hand at everyone, then turned around and walked out of the room quickly, ignoring Zhang Pu's retention.

As today's host, Li Wen's face is naturally dark, and even Zhang Pu's face is a little unpleasant.

Zhou Zhong on the side was about to turn around, and the two scholars who were good friends with Xia Yunyi looked at each other, and also got up and found an excuse to leave the table.

Watching these two scholars leave, Li Wen suddenly felt a trace of anger in his heart and said: "It's okay to go, it's hard to become a righteous person in the world..."

Although the remaining few scholars did not leave, after Li Wen said negative words, the atmosphere of this banquet was obviously gone, and after everyone drank a few glasses of residual wine, they left one after another, and there was no fun of returning from the past.