Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 892 0887 [Undergraduate and Junior College]

Chui Gong Hall.

The Minister of Rites, Huan Guo, sat aside and watched the emperor review the memorials.

After a long while, Ju Ming put down his pen and asked: "Is there already a commotion among the scholars?"

Huan Guo replied: "Xunzi's promotion of the classics has caused a lot of criticism. Two days ago at the Peony Flower Party, there were even scholars gathering to discuss the Tao."

"What are you talking about?" Zhu Ming asked.

Huan Guo said: "Good nature and hypocritical etiquette."

Ju Ming smiled and said, "What are you thinking?"

Huan Guo responded very tactfully: "I respect Mencius."

Zhu Ming said: "Take your time. In the autumn of this year, we will start taking the "Xunzi" exam. The number of scholars and candidates in the "Xunzi Branch" can be smaller for the time being."

"According to the order."

"The officials are wise." Huan Guo flattered him against his will.

Before Ju Ming officially ascended the throne, he had already revealed his intention to upgrade "Xunzi" to the classics.

The emperor's normal operation should be to ask a certain minister to make suggestions and trigger a war of words. Then, the emperor stood up and took sides, and finally achieved the goal of Xunzi's promotion of scriptures.

Ju Ming didn't do this and directly raised it in person!

The eunuch brought the manuscripts, and Huan Guo bowed to take them, and then left with the manuscripts.

But Ju Ming insisted on his opinion, and the ministers naturally could not object.

It must be related to those miscellaneous studies!
"Boom!"

The imperial examination held every three years is called "Changke".

At first glance, it’s true!

During the Northern Song Dynasty, the promotion of "Mencius" experienced a lot of push and pull, and even almost intensified party strife. Only because many people in the old party supported the upgrading of "Mencius" did they not make the matter completely serious.

Ju Ming suddenly said: "I intend to restore and reform the system."

As the Minister of Rites, Huan Guo was pushed out by the ministers to take charge of the matter and was responsible for re-annotating the meaning of "Xunzi" - since it cannot be stopped, then try to guide it in the right direction.

After several years of persuasion by cabinet ministers, two prime ministers changed, but Ju Ming brought up the matter again every year.

Hu Guo has always been opposed.

In other words, there were not many people in the entire court who supported it.

Huan Guo's scalp was numb after hearing this, and he vaguely guessed what the emperor wanted to do.

The ministers are tired and can do whatever they want. They can only save the country through curveballs.

Unable to wait to return to the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites, Huan Guo launched a reform plan for the system and science.

"Mencius" has attracted criticism in this way, so it is conceivable that "Xunzi" is more difficult to convince the public.

There was a stack of manuscripts on the desk. Ju Ming tapped it twice with his fingertips: "Here is the science reform strategy. You can take it and check for omissions and fill in the gaps, and then discuss it with the cabinet. Go ahead."

Irregular imperial examinations are called "Enke".

The examination contents of Changke and Enke are the same and they fall under the category of regular imperial examinations.

In addition, there are also manufacturing departments.

The art department specializes in recruiting special talents. "Laozi", "Xunzi", and "Yangtze" are the contents that often appear in the art exams. Mathematics, law, medicine...these can also be included in the system.

It’s possible that the emperor had a fit one day and suddenly took the examination of "Han Feizi" and "Mozi" in the academic department!
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination questions have been relatively confusing. Because Ju Ming added various miscellaneous subjects, it was like turning all regular subjects into system subjects.

Now it is about to be formalized. The reform plan is as follows:

First, "Mathematics" should be included in the regular subjects as a required test, and "Xunzi" should be included in the regular subjects as an optional test. That is, those revealed by Wei Liangchen in Jiangxi.

Second, Taixue Shangshe Examination and Zhike were merged. That is to say, the system subjects that are held from time to time are changed to the system subjects that must be tested every year. The main candidates for the formal subjects are Taipei students, and private students can also register independently.

Third, mathematics, astronomy, geography, chemistry, physics, law, smelting, machinery, shipbuilding, medicine, agriculture, water conservancy, Laozi, Yangtze, Guanzi, dynasty history books... are all included in the scope of the system. And it is divided into two categories: Zhuzi (including history) and practical learning. Each category has quotas for Jinshi and Juren.

Fourth, Taipei students can also choose to take regular subjects, which is the traditional formal imperial examination.

Fifth, there are 18 Jinshi quotas for imperial examinations every year, and they enjoy the same treatment as ordinary imperial examinations. There are also 30 quotas for candidates, who can be directly awarded the position of art and crafts officers, and the appointment of officers will be directed according to different professions.

Sixth, Ming Dynasty has established more than ten vocational schools in medicine, smelting, shipbuilding, etc. Based on test scores, the school selects a group of students from these vocational schools to go to Beijing every year to take courses, and is responsible for the students' traveling expenses.

After Huan Guo read the plan carefully, he began to worry about whether the admission of eighteen academic scholars every year would affect the quota of regular academic scholars every three years.

After all, the Ming Dynasty's admission to Jinshi was very strict, unlike the crazy increase in the number of people in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty.

At this time, there was no eight-part essay in the imperial examination, and the ministers did not have a strong attitude towards this matter.

In the field of science, it is very normal for the emperor to select professional talents. It was only held occasionally in the past, but now it is held every year.

Don't look at "Xunzi" because of its two major views of evil nature and hypocrisy of etiquette, it is spurned by the vast majority of readers. However, during the Song Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, Xunzi appeared very frequently as a policy topic in formal imperial examinations.

"Xunzi" has been tested in the imperial examinations of the two Song Dynasties more times than "Historical Records" and "Laozi".

In addition, "Yangzi", which is less common in later generations, has more imperial examination policy topics than "Xunzi".

When you scold, you should scold, when you use it, you should use it, without interfering with each other!

The ranking of Confucian sages in the Song Dynasty turned out to be like this: Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, Yang Xiong, and Han Yu.

And this kind of ranking also has official endorsement. In the seventh year of Yuanfeng, Xunzi, Yang Xiong and Han Yu entered the Confucian Temple together.

... Ju Ming became emperor for the first time. Although he had many ideas, he had to make constant adjustments.

The imperial examination had already been ruined by his father and son, and now it was just a step further.

He has been thinking about how natural sciences and professional subjects should be integrated into the imperial examination system.

After thinking about it, I finally thought of Zhike.

Because this thing is originally used to recruit professional talents.

Therefore, all the content that is not tested in the regular imperial examination can be thrown in.

History and the Hundred Schools of Scholars are listed as major categories of the system of study, and will be used to conduct literature and history research after admission.

Junior colleges and natural sciences are listed as practical majors in the system of education. After admission, they are used to promote scientific development and serve as technical officials.

Picking up another report from the Ministry of War, Zhu Ming read it carefully and put it aside.

This is last year's military performance, which has already started with Annan.

When fighting in the central and northern parts of Vietnam, you must choose the right time to fight.

The rainy season is from April to September in the lunar calendar every year. It is hot and humid, making non-combat attrition very easy. The dry season is from October to March of the lunar calendar, which is relatively dry and not that hot.

Therefore, choose to fight in winter.

In late October of the lunar calendar last year, Champa sent troops from the south to attack Annan.

At the same time, Chenla sent troops from the southwest and the Golden Teeth Kingdom sent troops from the west. Yang Zaixing sent troops from the north and called the navy to attack from the east.

Annan was attacked from all sides!

The report that Zhu Ming just read was sent by Yang Zaixing in winter, but it was delayed due to heavy snow in the north and road closures.

……

Luoyang Peony Fair is held every year.

But it is not uniform.

There are flower fairs with the participation of government officials and flower fairs with the participation of temples. These two flower fairs are larger in scale.

There are also flower parties organized by merchants and scholars, which are small in scale and have uncertain addresses.

At this moment, Liu Yannian was attending the Scholars Flower Party.

They brought their family members with them, chose a beautiful location, and even set up a tent to stay overnight.

They enjoy flower appreciation, fight with flowers, drink wine, compete in poems, have fun, and occasionally give away or trade peonies.

Today's flower party is debating.

"The theory of evil nature is so absurd!"

A scholar said loudly: "Compassion, shame, humility, and right and wrong respectively represent the four virtues of benevolence, justice, propriety, and wisdom. These are the four ends of human nature. I respect Mencius. Human nature must be good, and this naturally comes from heaven and earth."

Just after he finished speaking, a scholar retorted: "No, no. Nature is neither good nor evil, and emotions are both good and evil. Emotions just come from nature."

This person is obviously a disciple of Wang Anshi, who initially advocated the theory of good nature. Later, it became clear that nature has no good or evil, while emotions have good and evil. Nature is innate, while emotion is acquired.

However, Wang Anshi finally admitted that sex has good and evil qualities, and his views were similar to Yang Xiong's.

"You are all wrong," soon another scholar stood up, "nature is bound to be evil. How can a baby know how to be humble? Between twin brothers, if one of them is hungry, he must steal his brother's food. What do babies know? How do you know how to be humble? This is just natural!”

"Nonsense!"

The scholar who supported the good nature said angrily.

Scholars who supported the evil nature asked: "You said that the nature is good, so babies must understand the concession. I have only heard of Kong Rong giving pears, but I have never heard of babies giving pears. It is precisely because human nature is evil that we must abide by it. Educate children to eliminate evil and promote good. Even when people grow up, they will always have evil thoughts. The so-called gentleman is to self-examine at all times and suppress the evil in his heart. "

Scholars who supported the good nature asked: "Why do children who have never studied know how to honor their parents?"

"Is education just about reading? Parents' words and deeds are also education."

"Mencius said that human nature is like water. The highest good is like water. There is no water that does not flow downward, and there is no evil in human nature. Can you say that water does not flow downward?"

"Mencius said that human nature is like water, does it mean that human nature must be like water? I also said that human nature is like fire!"

"How dare you question Mencius!"

"Is Mencius necessarily correct? I studied His Majesty's teachings. Your Majesty said that everything requires bold assumptions and careful verification. How to prove that human nature is like water? Can you prove it? Let me tell you, water flows downward because of gravity. Yes Because of the earth’s gravity! If the earth loses gravity, water will have to flow upward.”

"Nonsense! How can the water flow upward?"

"It can flow upward without the gravity of the earth. Without gravity, people can still fly!"

"You guys, stop arguing! Human nature is a mixture of good and evil. If you learn well, you will be good, and if you learn bad, you will be evil."

"Fart, human nature is kind."

"No, human nature is evil!"

"..."

The imperial court wanted to spread the news that "Xunzi" could be upgraded into classics. Such debates could be seen almost every day inside and outside Luoyang.

After all, Mencius's prestige at this time was not as good as that of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and he had not yet become an absolute saint.

The real sage Confucius did not evaluate the good and evil of human nature, but only said that "their natures are similar."

Liu Yannian sat aside and listened silently. He felt that it was inappropriate to discuss good and evil, as it was impossible to distinguish between this stuff.

If you want to attack Xunzi, you should start with the theory of "ritual hypocrisy"!
(It’s my birthday today, so I went to play during the day.)
(End of this chapter)