I'm in the Red Mansion

The article does not end here.

The pen turned and wrote about new learning.

The article asks, when the Qing Dynasty was powerful, why was it that no one from the former Great Xia army could defeat the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty?
There is also a rumor that if there are less than 10,000 Eight Banners, they will be invincible?
Later, how did the Marquis of Guanjun, now the emperor, lead the soldiers of Daxia to defeat the Eight Banners Army, recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and ultimately destroy the Qing Dynasty?
This article was written by Jia Cong himself, but it was not signed by him.

As an emperor, it would be somewhat disgraceful for him to sign his name personally.

When the readers of Daxia Monthly read this, they couldn't help but start thinking.

Yes, before Guanjun Hou came to prominence, the wars between Daxia and the Qing Dynasty were basically fought in a state of repeated defeat with few victories.

How did Guanjun Hou defeat the Qing Dynasty?
And he wins every battle and never loses?
No matter how powerful the Champion Marquis is, he is just one person, and the soldiers are still the same soldiers.

It's impossible that just by changing a general, the soldiers will be transformed and become more powerful, right?
These readers continued reading out of curiosity.

The article only wrote: The reason why Guanjun Hou was able to win battles one after another and continuously defeat the Qing army was mainly because Guanjun Hou used Western firearms and artillery.

They also organized personnel to upgrade Western firearms and artillery.

Therefore, the reason why Guanjun Hou was able to defeat the Qing Dynasty was entirely due to the advantage of weapons.

The development of new knowledge in the West has been several decades longer than that in China.

Their new education is developing rapidly. In their country, there are vehicles that are hundreds of steps long and can carry millions of kilograms of cargo at a time.

Their ships were a hundred steps long, could sail the sea without sails, and could carry thousands of people.

Almost all of them are learning new skills, and their weapons are constantly updated.

They are born with a love of plunder, and wherever they go, they will plunder the local wealth.

Then they would oppress and exploit the local people and treat them as slaves.

Let them mine, work, farm, work in factories, etc. for you.

The work was heavy, with only a little food given a day and no medical care, so most of these slaves died before the age of thirty.

And they know that China is vast and prosperous.

Once they become strong, they will definitely not let China go.

Because they are just a group of robbers.

But if China is not strong enough, its weapons are not advanced enough, and it is not vigilant enough.

They will inevitably be plundered by this powerful group, and the Chinese people will become their slaves.

Don't think it's impossible. In the previous dynasty, if Marquis Guanjun had not emerged, the Qing Dynasty might have already destroyed Daxia.

At that time, the Manchus will naturally treat the people of the Central Plains as slaves.

These Western bandits are even more cruel and cold-blooded than the Manchus.

There is more than one China in the world; the world outside is huge.

We, the descendants of the Chinese nation, should open our eyes and see the world. We must not be complacent and be frogs in a well.

Others are making progress. If China is still working in isolation and remaining complacent, we will inevitably be left far behind.

If you fall behind, you will be beaten.

Moreover, even our ancestors never opposed new learning.

It is said in the Book of Rites and the Great Learning: "If you can be renewed every day, you should continue to be renewed every day, and even more so every day." This means that if you can be renewed every day, you should keep being renewed every day, and even more so after being renewed.

Universities encourage innovation and do not stick to the old ways or stand still. So why have scholars in later generations started to stand still and oppose new learning?
This was the case during the previous dynasty of Daxia. When the Qing Dynasty invaded Daxia, these scholars ran around, filled with indignation.

When the country is stable, what benefit does it bring to the country and the family if you constantly criticize the government, deny everything, and show off your own nobleness?

Let us ask ourselves again: after having read the Four Books and Five Classics and becoming an official, are the Four Books and Five Classics really useful for our work and for specific matters?
I personally think that the Four Books and Five Classics are just moral codes.

When it comes to practical matters, new knowledge is more useful.

Therefore, the Four Books and Five Classics should be the basis and the new learning should be used, and the two should go hand in hand, which is the right way.

This article ends here.

For ordinary people, their focus is only on the first half.

They only need to know that the emperor's new policy is good for them, and it is enough to cut the flesh of the gentry.

Next, they will never be deceived by the gentry again.

For most people in the literati circle, the second half of the article triggered their deep thoughts.

This article is like a sharp knife, piercing through their hypocritical shell and revealing the bloody ugliness inside.

This made many scholars who still had justice in their hearts begin to reflect on themselves and the entire group.

They usually like to form associations, literary gatherings, give advice on state affairs, and visit prostitutes for pleasure.

When the country was in danger, they liked to run around and write sad poems. Even after the country was destroyed, some of them were willing to sacrifice their lives for the country.

Then, what benefit will it bring to the family and the country?
After all, it's just self-admiration.

What they did was actually basically all useful.

Those officials were well aware that the Four Books and Five Classics were incapable of governing the country.

After they passed the imperial examination, the Four Books and Five Classics were of no use to them and were just a stepping stone.

As for new knowledge, most of them have never been exposed to it.

But most of them have heard of it.

When they learned that Guanjun Hou was the one who defeated the Qing Dynasty through new learning and guns and cannons.

At this point, I had enough understanding of why the emperor would vigorously develop new learning.

This article is really amazing.

Not only did it appease the people, but more than half of the scholars also agreed with this view.

Of course there are still some opponents, no matter in ancient or modern times, at home or abroad, no matter where they come from, there are always stubborn people.

Of course, another part of the reason is because of the damage to interests.

These people only see profit.

Even if you say something fantastic, it won't work as long as my interests are harmed.

If plucking a single hair could benefit the world, I would not do it.

However, overall, this article achieved the effect that Jia Cong wanted.

Jia Cong also saw this from the information handed over by Ni Er.

And then, Jia Cong was still thinking.

This article alone is not enough.

Just like a saying in later generations: No picture, no truth. What can you say without a picture?

Just my words are not enough to make more people believe this.

In this case, why don’t we send a group of people to study in the West?
Moreover, the personnel sent out are very particular.

A group of people can be selected from the children of aristocratic families, scholars, and nobles.

Let them go out for half a year or a few years, and when they come back, there will inevitably be a group of returnees who will advocate new studies.

This will naturally cause some harm to China, but it will definitely be beneficial to the promotion of new learning.

The benefits naturally outweigh the disadvantages.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong quickly began to prepare for implementation.

Of course, implementing this will not be possible in a short period of time.

Next, Jia Cong planned to move Tang Ruowang, Ferdinand Verbiest, and their apprentice, as well as the scientific research institute, to the capital.

Before ascending the throne, Jia Cong was thinking of moving the capital to Youzhou as soon as possible.

It was only after he ascended the throne that Jia Cong discovered that plans could not keep up with changes.

Many things are not as simple as we imagine.

Now, let alone other things, just a new policy, even a castrated version of the new policy, has caused such a big commotion. Now the new policy has not been promoted throughout China, let alone moving the capital.

If he insists on moving the capital, it will inevitably cause unrest.

This is naturally what Jia Cong does not want to see.

If we want to move the capital, it may not be possible in 10 to 20 years.

Therefore, Jia Cong also decided to move the master and disciple, Johann Adam Schall von Bell and Ferdinand Verbiest, from Youzhou to here first.

The decision on sending people to study abroad would naturally have to wait until the master and disciple arrived.

……

Back in the palace, Xue Baochai was reading the Daxia Monthly Report.

She has been feeling low these past few days.

She could never understand why the emperor treated her like that.

It wasn't until today that she picked up the Daxia Monthly and saw the first article on the front page.

Then, Xue Baochai was completely shocked.

Although she is well-versed in history and current affairs, she knows everything about sex.

But after all, she is a girl, and what she reads are mostly poems and songs.

Although I have read some historical books and facts, it is difficult for me to have my own understanding of them.

It was not until she read this article today that Xue Baochai felt as if she had suddenly realized something.

It was not until this moment that she truly understood the intention of those eleven important ministers who forced the emperor to beg for his remains.

The emperor agreed decisively, and later confiscated all their property and exiled all eleven people. How much pressure and infamy did he bear?

What's even more ridiculous is that when I finally returned to the harem and just wanted to relax, I actually came to admonish the emperor at this time.

At that time, I was probably still thinking that I was very capable, right?

And when she read the second half of the part about new learning, Xue Baochai was shocked again.

She felt that her three views were once again overturned.

Yes, in the Book of Rites of the Great Learning, there is a clear sentence: "If you want to improve yourself every day, you must improve yourself every day."

Why did it become an ancient ritual that cannot be abolished in later generations?

This is clearly not what our ancestors said!

Also, when did the Three Obediences and Four Virtues arise?
It seems that it was gradually formed by Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty.

Before Zhu Xi, had the distinction between men and women ever been so strict?

But these have never appeared in the Four Books and Five Classics!

After reading this article, Xue Baochai was stunned for a long time.

The education he had received before began to be constantly subverted.

She recalled that when she was in Youzhou, the emperor promoted new learning, which she also disliked.

I think this is rather heretical.

But now I think about it, what did the emperor do? Whose principles did he betray?

At this moment, Xue Baochai couldn't help but think of what Jia Baoyu had said before.

He said: Apart from the Four Books, there are too many fabricated things. Could it be that I am the only one who fabricated them?

When I heard it at that time, I just thought it was ridiculous.

And now it seems that the emperor probably holds the same view.

For a moment, Xue Baochai thought too much.

After a long time, she came back to her senses.

At the same time, I became alert.

She had made a huge mistake before.

I have violated the emperor's taboo, but fortunately it is not irreparable.

You better be more vigilant in the future.

Therefore, on this day, Xue Baochai ordered people to prepare a banquet early, and then sent a maid to invite the emperor to come.

Originally, Jia Cong planned to ignore Xue Baochai for a few days to let her reflect on herself.

He was originally planning to go to Xiangling's place today.

However, after Xue Baoqin's maid came to invite him, Jia Cong had no choice but to come.

After Jia Cong arrived, Xue Baochai sent away the maid, knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't know the rules last time and violated the taboo. Please forgive me."

"I promise I will never do it again."

Jia Cong walked over and pulled Xue Baoqin up from the ground.

Then he said: "No one is perfect. But if one can correct his mistakes, there is nothing better than that."

"This is not a big deal, but we can't just look at the surface of things in the court."

"The harem cannot interfere in government affairs, and this is also to prevent the harem from colluding with ministers in the court."

Xue Baochai said hurriedly, "I read the Daxia Monthly Report today and realized how narrow-minded and childish I was before."

"Your Majesty is a good emperor who is wholeheartedly good to the people. Although I am stupid, I cannot hold you back."

After hearing this, Jia Cong became a little curious.

He couldn't help but ask Xue Baochai a few questions. After listening carefully, he found that Xue Baochai's thoughts had actually undergone a great change.

This aroused Jia Cong's interest, and he couldn't help but chat with Xue Baochai for a few more words.

And Xue Baochai also benefited a lot from the conversation.

As the night deepened, the two of them lay on the bed and talked after making love.

Xue Baochai suddenly thought of something and said, "Oh, Qian'er is studying very hard, and she showed off to me today."

"She was praised by the teacher for being the best at memorizing."

After hearing this, Jia Cong thought about the education of the princes and princesses.

I have been so busy recently that I have forgotten about this matter.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong couldn't help but say: "Well, Qian'er is like you. She is not only smart, but also calm."

"However, you don't need to put too much effort into the Four Books and Five Classics. As long as you understand the principles, that's enough."

"Next, we need to find a teacher for them to teach them new knowledge."

"They are princes and princesses, and they don't need to take the imperial examinations. It would be better for them to master more useful knowledge."

"Also, I plan to ask them to spend a month every year to experience the sufferings of the people."

"And, make this a permanent rule. From now on, all my royal descendants will experience the sufferings of the people."

"It won't lead to any jokes like why not eat meat."

At the same time, Jia Cong thought of another problem.

By the way, I had promised Lin Daiyu.

After I ascend the throne, I will make Jia Cang the crown prince.

I'm so busy now that I've forgotten about this matter.

In this case, why not decide on the crown prince within the next two days?

There is also the issue of children's education, which also needs to be addressed carefully. (End of this chapter)