I

  Chapter 778 775 [The Book of Rites of the Prince]

  Huang Zongxi's lecture content is "Da Tong Ji". He has been sick for the past few days and cannot come to work for the time being.

  In the first class "Book of Rites", the teacher is called Zhang Erqi.

  In the last years of Chongzhen, the Tartars plundered Shandong. Zhang Erqi's father stepped forward and killed the two Tartars alone. After being captured alive, he brutally killed them. His third brother also died tragically, and the fourth brother was almost buried and came back to life.

  After the Tartars entered the customs, Zhang Erqi and his fourth brother burned the time and papers, expressing their intention to cut off the imperial examinations, and they would never be officials in the Manchu Qing Dynasty in this life.

  He had been teaching in Shandong before, and was later invited to Nanjing to give lectures. Now he is famous all over the world for his academics, and was specially recruited into the Hanlin Academy as a master of Confucianism. Gu Yanwu read "Yili Zheng Zhujudu", admired his attainments in Confucian classics, and respected Zhang Erqi as "Zhuoran Confucian classics teacher".

  A room in the Wenhua Palace is where the prince studies, and the cabinet officials next door are busy.

   Zhao Kuanghuan came to Zhengzheng and bowed: "Meet Mr. Zhang."

  Zhang Erqi got up to return the salute, and then held the ruler: "Prince, please sit down."

  Zhao Kuanghuan and Zhang Erqi are sitting opposite each other, with a desk in the middle.

  Li Yong stood beside him, and Hu Mengtai sat farther away. As a guest of the prince, Hu Mengtai read the book by himself, and seemed too lazy to pay attention to the teaching situation, but his ears were always erect.

   Around, there are some officials, and there are also special personnel to record the content of the class.

  Zhang Erqi said: "His Royal Highness, after this statement, there are no monarchs and ministers in this house, only teachers and students. If the prince is stubborn and does not obey the rules, he must be beaten with a ruler."

  The first prince Zhu Biao of the Ming Dynasty was often beaten by his teacher with a ruler.

  Hearing this, Zhao Kuanghuan felt that the teacher in front of him was too serious, and he was not happy because of it, but also a little awe-inspiring.

Zhang Erqi said: "To study, you must first show your ambition. Whether it is the old Ming dynasty or our Datong new dynasty, why do children learn "University" first after they are enlightened? The world, this is the ambition of a scholar in his life. From now on, whether it is Confucianism, history, rhetoric or miscellaneous studies, these studies must be developed around his own ambition. Have any other masters said these words?"

   Zhao Kuanghuan replied: "I have."

Zhang Erqi also said: "I teach people to read. There is a sequence of which books to read. The books on Confucian classics are "University", "Analects of Confucius", "Doctrine of the Mean", "Mencius", "Book of Songs", "Book of Changes", "Spring and Autumn", "Zhou Li", "Yi Li", "Book of Rites". History books, followed by "Compendium", "Pre-Bian", "Sequel", "Tong Ji" and "Da Zheng Lu" in the former Ming Dynasty. Books on miscellaneous studies, in order, are "University Yanyi", "Buxishan Reading Secretary", "General Examination of Documents", "Public Security Research Evidence", "Authentic Articles", "Zoushu of Famous Officials", and "Daming Huidian".

  This gentleman is proficient in all five classics, and has studied history and miscellaneous studies intensively.

Zhang Erqi went on to say: "Your Majesty asked me to teach the prince, and only teach the "Book of Rites", not sequentially. This fact is helpless. But I still have to say what should be said. The prince should have learned the origin of the universe. My school , Qi is the foundation, reason is the end..."

   "Ahem!"

   Hu Mengtai, who was reading with his head down, suddenly coughed and reminded Zhang Erqi not to add private goods.

  Zhang Erqi hesitated to speak, but finally did not continue, and quickly returned to the topic: "Has the prince ever studied the Book of Rites?"

  Zhao Kuanghuan replied: "In the middle school textbooks, there are excerpts from the Book of Rites."

  Zhang Erqi was very dissatisfied with this. He felt that the Four Books and Five Classics were a gradual knowledge system. Primary and middle school students only learn excerpts of chapters, and their knowledge has been messed up.

  However, Zhang Erqi is not a Taoist, and his academics also tend to be practical.

  From Qi as the foundation and Li as the end, it can be seen that although he studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, he subverted Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. Qi-based, that is, focusing on the study of materials, the exploration of the world, and the practical practice of the world.

  Zhang Erqi asked again: "Prince, can you know what is 'ritual'?"

   Zhao Kuanghuan replied: "It's the rules of etiquette."

Zhang Erqi said: "It's true, but it's not entirely true. Li, in the big sense, is a system and a convention. In a small sense, it's a technique of self-cultivation. The law is actually a kind of ritual, but it's the bottom line of ritual. "

"There are many things in the world that cannot be controlled solely by laws, otherwise they cannot be controlled at all. Just like acquaintances meet, greeting each other is an etiquette, but it is not illegal to not greet each other. The "Datong Township Covenant" formulated by His Majesty is a rural etiquette system. It persuades people to be kind and to help each other, and if you don’t abide by it, you won’t break the law, but you will be poked in the spine by your neighbors.”

"The rites of monarch and ministers, the rites of husband and wife, the rites of elders and children, these rituals and rituals can maintain the operation of the court, family, and society. What is the collapse of rituals and music? It means that the rituals are not suitable. The rituals are not suitable, and everyone is uneasy. , the chaos in this world is coming.”

   Zhao Kuanghuan suddenly asked: "Sir, what should I do if the etiquette is not suitable?"

Zhang Erqi said: "Then we must seek change. Trees are moved to death, people are moved to life, there is nothing that will last forever. But the reform must be cautious. Since ancient times, people who have reformed the law, if they are not careful, they will be lost forever. The key to the reform is the first. Emotion and benefit. The etiquette must conform to the sentiment, then it is proper etiquette, and then the world will be convinced. The etiquette must conform to the interest, because everyone pursues profit, and it is against the great interests of the world. No one will abide by such etiquette."

   "Love and benefit..." Zhao Kuanghuan thought about it, and suddenly said, "Isn't it love and reason?"

Zhang Erqi said: "A lot of times, people are unreasonable. Emotions come before reason, and interests come before reason. I don't talk about this kind of thing casually when I give lectures outside. But the prince is different. The prince will govern the country in the future. , must understand this truth.”

   Hu Mengtai, who had been reading a book, looked up at Zhang Erqi at this moment, and he began to think that this gentleman was very interesting.

Zhang Erqi said: "Prince, please open the book. Qu Li said: Don't be disrespectful, just like thinking, An Ding speech, peace of the people! You can't grow long, you can't follow your desires, you can't be full of ambition, and you can't be extremely happy. The sage respects him, Fear it but love it...Has the prince ever studied this article?"

  Zhao Kuanghuan shook his head: "No."

Zhang Erqi explained the meaning and said: "Don't be disrespectful. Don't relax your self-restraint and vigilance, and always introspect yourself. A person who is a king should do this even more. Because you don't know who is flattering and who is loyal. As a king, Living in a deep palace. The king of the subjugated country in ancient times was deceived by the treacherous villains, and only when the rebellious army approached the city did he know that the country was in great trouble!"

"It's just like thinking. Don't be angry and talk, keep dignified, and always have a look of contemplation. As a king, you can't let your courtiers see through your mind. Once you are seen through, your courtiers will take the medicine according to the prescription, and you will be led by your courtiers." Keep your nose open. To make your subjects unpredictable...Moreover, if you are a king, you don't express your attitude easily, then everything has room for reversal..."

   "Stable words. When speaking, you must not be impatient, but must be calm. Only when you speak in this way will you be convincing..."

  "Arrogance cannot grow. Once a person is arrogant, he will easily lose his mind. Desires cannot be indulged...don't be complacent...don't be extremely happy..."

  Zhang Erqi thought of the emperor's instructions, and felt that he was speaking too seriously, so he said: "Every sentence here, I use ancient emperors and civil and military examples, so that the prince can understand it more deeply and clearly..."

  This gentleman really has something in his stomach. Explaining "Book of Rites" to the prince is very different from lecturing in the folk. It is said everywhere about what one should do as a king, and all kinds of historical allusions are also readily available.

  After a class, although Zhao Kuanghuan could not recite the original text, he had already fully understood the content of the article.

   After class, Zhang Erqi walked away without looking back. He actually didn't like to give lectures to the prince.

  Hu Mengtai also put away his books, and asked with a smile, "Is Your Highness satisfied with Mr. Zhang's lecture?"

   "I don't hate it." Zhao Kuanghuan said.

   "That's good." Hu Mengtai's status is very special, he is not only the prince's guest (official position), but also the prince's cousin.

  The two went out together, and Li Yong and other officials followed.

  Hu Mengtai pointed to Li Yong and said: "This is chosen by His Majesty, and I will follow it every time in class."

  Li Yong hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed: "Minister Li Yong, I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

   "You're polite." Zhao Kuanghuan bowed his hands in return.

  Introduced Li Yong emphatically to the crown prince, Hu Mengtai got out of the way.

   Zhao Kuanghuan is not a fool, he can even be said to be very smart. The Imperial City School was so rolled up, and with prodigies all over the place, the crown prince's grades were not at the bottom. At least compared with those students who were eliminated, the prince is completely at the top.

  Since he is a close minister arranged by the father, he must be capable and must be familiar with it.

   When leaving in a carriage, Zhao Kuanghuan recruited Li Yong: "You also come up."

  Of course Li Yong didn't dare, he cupped his hands and said, "Prince, please observe the etiquette."

  What the teacher said just now is not expressive. Although Zhao Kuanghuan understood it seriously, he immediately committed a crime. He smiled and said, "Which etiquette stipulates that the crown prince cannot ride in the same car with his subordinates? Come up quickly!"

   "Obey." Li Yong, a wild man without a teacher, is certainly not a rigid person.

   They all got into the carriage, Zhao Kuanghuan asked, "Where are you from?"

   Li Yong replied: "from Shanxi (Zhouzhi)."

The imperial carriage was very spacious. Zhao Kuanghuan found a comfortable position and half-lyed down, forgetting all the teacher's teachings in class: "People from Shaanxi, I also have a Shaanxi student in my class. I heard that during the reign of Chongzhen, there were severe droughts every year in Shaanxi. , are people rebelling everywhere?"

  Li Yong said: "My father followed the governor of Shaanxi to seek thieves, and was killed by Zhang Xianzhong."

   "Oh, I heard that many people died at that time." Zhao Kuanghuan sighed, but he was not touched much. The environment in which he grew up was destined to be separated from the bottom masses.

Li Yong said: "I have already figured it out. The trespassers and the eight thieves raised troops because of natural disasters and man-made disasters. I really can't live anymore. What must be remembered is not the revenge of killing the father, but how to achieve the peace of the country and the people. People have If you have food and clothing, you will not follow the rebellion, and you will be able to prevent more people from being destroyed."

   Zhao Kuanghuan nodded and said, "You are right."

  (end of this chapter)