Daming: I am the most powerful emperor grandson, please abdicate the throne

Chapter 122 Confucian Reform
  Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has been the mainstream.

It has never been changed.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't know whether there had ever been a person who dared to directly say that exclusive respect for Confucianism was a drawback. In his cognition, Zhu Xuan was still the first!
  If this sentence spreads, scholars all over the world will probably get excited again.

Even Fang Xiaoru will no longer respect Zhu Xuan, and may even personally take the lead in opposing Zhu Xuan. After all, these words have shaken their faith and destroyed their self-confidence.

All scholars in the world are Confucian scholars, and they will definitely resist fiercely.

"Just talk to me about my good grandson in private. Don't mention it to a third person, not even Zhu Song."

Zhu Yuanzhang warned solemnly.

However, Confucianism is the mainstream of governing the country. It advocates loyalty, filial piety, etiquette, benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust, etc., which can regulate people's behavior and is of great benefit to governing the world.

Zhu Xuan opposed Confucianism in this way, and Zhu Yuanzhang was a little unhappy, and asked: "Why would my good grandson say that exclusive respect for Confucianism is a drawback? If you can't explain this clearly, I will spank you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a gesture of spanking.

When Zhu Xuan saw what Grandpa Huang did, he seemed to be joking, but he also understood that if he really couldn't give a reasonable explanation, he would definitely get a beating. Grandpa Huang would not just joke around.

"Why does Grandpa Huang only respect Confucianism?"

Zhu Xuan asked again.

"We, the Ming Dynasty, are a superior country, and we should govern the country with etiquette."

"Confucianism is gentle, courteous, thrifty, benevolent, righteous, propriety, wisdom and trustworthy. It is in line with the needs of governing the country and can demonstrate the style of our Ming Dynasty, the great country of heaven."

"It is precisely because of Confucianism that small countries overseas and other foreign ethnic groups in the north respect and admire our Ming Dynasty. They respect our Confucian cultural heritage."

"In the early days of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, when the country was first founded, Confucianism was used."

"But they are foreign barbarians who don't know how to use it, which leads to the collapse of rituals and music. We should regain the mountains and rivers and establish the Ming Dynasty. We should rule the country with Confucianism again."

"The Ming Dynasty was founded in the early days, and the troubled times have not yet been settled. In troubled times, we should use heavy codes and rule the country with laws. We have killed many people and done many things, but now that the world is stable, we must learn Confucianism. Do you understand, my good grandson?"

Zhu Yuanzhang responded.

In his opinion, Confucianism is the most important and can stand the test. It has been like this for thousands of years, and the Ming Dynasty can also be like this.

"Grandpa Huang is right!"

Zhu Xuan added: "But Sun'er believes that the respect and worship, or even awe, of our Ming Dynasty in small overseas countries and foreign races in the north is not necessarily the benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust of Confucianism."

"Oh?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously: "What do you think the reason is?"

Zhu Xuan said proudly: "Our Ming Dynasty has many soldiers and generals, and an army of one million. We can drive away Yuan Meng who conquered the world in the past. In the final analysis, it is the strength of the Ming Dynasty, the hard fists, and the power of Grandpa Huang."

"Ha ha……"

Although this sentence contains a certain degree of flattery, Zhu Yuanzhang liked to hear it.

What he said is actually correct, Ming Dynasty has this strength.

Zhu Xuan added: "Foreign barbarians will not be in awe of Confucianism. If they are not from my race, their thoughts will be different. They are just afraid of the Ming Dynasty's force. As for what the emperor said, governing the country with Confucianism can stabilize the world, grandson I don’t object. What my grandson objects to is that Confucianism is the only one, that is, everything is based on Confucianism and only one family speaks. The problem will go back to what grandson said at the beginning, and it will cultivate a group of sour Confucians who only know how to read, and a group of nerds. , If you don’t know the military or political affairs, how can you govern the country?”

All explanations go back to the beginning.

Zhu Yuanzhang listened and did not interrupt.

Zhu Xuan continued: "Especially after Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, do you think that those who study Confucianism in depth are a little stupid. My grandson thinks that he is like this. Old-fashioned, yearning for a kind of imaginary world of nothingness? But there is no denying that Mr. Fang is very knowledgeable, loyal and patriotic, but his knowledge can only go to the main hall to give lectures, and it is not enough to truly govern the country. "

After hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that they made sense.

Is there really a problem with respecting Confucianism exclusively?

"Sun'er is not completely opposed to Confucianism, he just wants to reduce the proportion of Confucianism." Zhu Xuan added. If he wants to enlighten his mind, he must start by changing Confucianism.

It’s not that Confucianism is bad, but that after thousands of years of development, it has long deviated from its essence.

Today's Confucianism is no longer that of Confucius and the sages, let alone the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.

It must be changed.

But it has lasted for thousands of years, and countless scholars have read this Confucianism. How should it be changed?
  You can start with the imperial examination.

Learned martial arts and sold them to the emperor's family.

Why do scholars read?

Because studying can lead to becoming an official. If the assessment standards for becoming an official are changed, scholars all over the world will change their reading to other content and be able to lead the trend. This is the best way.

In Zhu Xuan's article, he wrote about "eight-legged writing" for recruiting scholars. This is the reason.

But it is still not easy to change the imperial examination.

This will lead to a vigorous reform movement, and there will be many people who oppose it. These people are not like the landlords who were involved in the previous tax reform, but scholars from all over the world, including officials from the DPRK and the Central Committee, those from the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial College.

Zhu Yuanzhang was able to kill landlords, merchants, and corrupt officials without fail, and he did not need to be merciful.

But the scholar cannot be killed!

If he is killed, Zhu Yuanzhang will be a tyrant and will be infamy for thousands of years.

Scholars cannot be killed casually.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Guaisun thinks, how to reduce the proportion of Confucianism?"

According to Zhu Xuan, Confucianism needs to be changed.

But how to change it needs to have a scale that will not lead to too big consequences.

Zhu Yuanzhang's mind was shaken by this, and he suddenly felt that if he could change this situation, there might be special evaluation in the history of future generations, and his historical status would be different.

For example, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Dong Zhongshu only respected Confucianism. His reform of Confucianism can be recorded in the annals of history and spread through the ages.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xuan again. Although this child had some words that were rebellious, such as opposing Confucianism, which would be reviled by the world, he was also very sensible, had a long-term vision, and had a big picture. The ideas he proposed were often to the point.

"My grandson believes that the essence of Confucianism lies in the six arts of a gentleman, including etiquette, music, and the number of imperial books!"

"The other Four Books and Five Classics, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Lord, the Master, etc. can be retained as appropriate."

"As for how to choose, my grandson doesn't quite understand."

Although Zhu Xuan had read many books, he had not studied Confucianism in depth.

So much of what can be said now is part of the experience of later generations to tell Grandpa Huang.

According to his opinion, Confucianism only needs to retain the Six Arts of the Gentleman, and the others can be discarded. However, he is worried that if he does so, Confucianism will exist in name only, and people outside will discuss it one after another, and will criticize and criticize it.

Zhu Xuan didn't want Grandpa Huang to be scolded too badly.

Except for the Six Arts, other contents are still appropriately retained.

The six arts play a very important role, and two of them are related to fighting. When Confucianism was founded, it pursued both civil and military skills, but it was misinterpreted by those acid Confucians in the late Tang and Song Dynasties.

Coupled with the distorted content, it meets the needs of the rulers and continues smoothly to this day.

Used by every generation of rulers.

(End of this chapter)