Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 468 The Wild He Fangqing
Liren Academy is located in the eastern suburb of Nanchang, backed by Qingshan Lake, with picturesque scenery.This academy was established in the 25th year of Jiajing by a local wealthy family in Nanchang.

In front of the gate of Liren Academy, two people dressed as scholars, one old and one young, came.

These two people are exactly He Liu and He Shizhong.

He Liu suspected that the secret passage in Yangming's ancestral hall was built by people from Liren Academy.Liren College is on the list of 72 colleges in Zhiliangmeng.This academy seems to be inextricably linked with He Xinyin.

As the saying goes, if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you find tiger cubs.He decided to take his son to Liren Academy for a walk.

Just as the father and son were about to enter the gate of the academy, an old man sweeping the floor in front of the gate blocked their way.

"What are you doing? What are you doing in the academy?"

He Shizhong said: "Old man. We are scholars from the capital city. We traveled around and passed through Nanchang. We have heard the name of Liren Academy for a long time, so we come here to visit and learn from each other."

The old man said: "Oh, wait a minute."

The old man turned around and left. Not long after, he led a white-clothed scholar in his twenties back to the gate.

The white-clothed scholar cupped his hands towards He Liu and his son: "May I ask you two brothers' names?"

He Shizhong made up casually: "My name is Lin Quan. This is my teacher, Jiang Shanyue."

The white-clothed scholar said: "People who study abroad like to come to Liren Academy to give lectures on the scriptures and Taoism. But, the people who come here are full of mud and sand. There are real scholars who are well-educated, and there are also fake Taoists and real villains who are trying to gain fame. You guys, if you can answer, I will let you in. If you can’t answer, I’m sorry, please go back home.”

He Liu's heart skipped a beat.I'm afraid he can't be fooled by the few ounces of ink in his stomach.After thinking about it, fortunately, my son is a student of the emperor's teacher Zhang Juzheng.He passed the provincial examination in Beizhili.Should be able to handle it.

He Shizhong cupped his hands and said, "Brother, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."

The scholar in white clothes asked: "Zhu Xi said: Preserve the principles of heaven and destroy human desires. What is reason? What is desire?"

He Shizhong replied loudly: "Reason is the basic standard of ethics and morality. Desire is selfish desire, lust, and greed."

The scholar in white nodded: "Do you think what Zhu Xi said is right or wrong?"

He Shizhong's mind was spinning rapidly.He has long heard that Liren Academy is a branch of Taizhou School.The Taizhou School rejects Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and advocates Yangming's Mind-School.The three cardinal principles and five constant principles of traditional Confucianism are regarded as fallacies and heresies.If you want to enter this Liren Academy, you will naturally have to reprimand Zhu Xi.

He Shizhong said: "I think Zhu Xi is talking nonsense! How can we preserve the principles of heaven and destroy human desires? Human desires are the principles of heaven!"

The white-clothed scholar nodded approvingly: "Okay. Then tell me, why is human desire the law of nature? You're right, and I'll let you in."

He Shizhong said: "I want to tell a story to my brother."

The white-clothed scholar said: "I would like to hear the details."

He Shizhong told the white-clothed scholar such a story: In the 14th year of Hongzhi, Wang Yangming came to Hangzhou Jiming Temple and met the presiding Zen Master Jingyan.

Zen Master Jingyan has worshiped Buddha for more than [-] years, and he has already seen through the world of mortals and understood life and death thoroughly.He is a well-known eminent monk in Hangzhou.

The two sat under a bodhi tree in Jiming Temple and chatted.

Wang Yangming asked, "Does Zen Master still have a home?"

Zen Master Jingyan replied: "People who become monks already have no home. Buddhism is a home."

Wang Yangming said: "Let me ask this question in a different way. Does Zen Master still have relatives living in the world?"

Zen Master Jingyan replied, "Mother is still here."

Wang Yangming asked: "Do you miss her?"

Zen Master Jingyan fell silent.A light wind rustled the leaves on the linden tree.

After cupping tea, Zen Master Jingyan looked up to the sky and sighed, "How can you not think about it?"

After speaking, Zen Master Jingyan lowered his head in shame.A monk does not lie, he speaks the truth.But this truth does not conform to his status as an accomplished monk.

Wang Yangming stood up, stared at Zen Master Jingyan, and said solemnly: "There is nothing to be ashamed of when you miss your mother. This is human nature!"

Hearing these words, Zen Master Jingyan stood up and bowed respectfully to Wang Yangming.The next day, he gave up his identity as a Zen master and returned home to serve his mother.

Because of this incident, Wang Yangming realized a truth in the world: no matter when and where, human nature cannot and will not be annihilated.Human nature will always exist between heaven and earth.

He Shizhong finished telling the story.He said to the white-clothed scholar: "Cheng Zhu Neo-Confucianism, the Three Cardinal Principles and the Five Constant Principles, put on the skin of destroying human desires, and do things to destroy human nature. In fact, human desires are human nature, and human nature is the law of heaven! The books written by Master Zhu in my family have long been Just set me on fire!"

The white-clothed scholar nodded in satisfaction: "Brother, great talent, you two, please come in."

He Liu smiled and asked, "You haven't tested me yet."

The scholar in white said: "You are his teacher. The student's knowledge is so shallow, but the teacher's knowledge is not so shallow."

He Liu and his son followed the white-clothed scholar to a willow forest in the academy.

Countless summer cicadas were singing in the willow forest.Under the willow tree, hundreds of scholars formed a circle.He Liu and his son sat down silently in an inconspicuous corner.

In the center of the circle stood a woman under 20 years old.The woman was wearing a Tang-style tube top skirt that exposed half of her breasts.Her hair was disheveled, without the slightest restraint of a woman.In her right hand, she also held a white porcelain jug.

However, her messy hair could not hide her beautiful face.

When He Liu saw her face full of shame, she even thought of Bai Xiaoyan when she was young.

While drinking, the woman denounced Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism, the Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Five Constant Principles.

He Liu listened to her seemingly insane theories, and thought to himself: What this woman said is exactly the same as what He Xinyin said at the Suzhou Cultural Association back then!
He Liu whispered to a scholar sitting next to him: "Who is this girl?"

The scholar replied: "You don't even know her? You are really ignorant. She is Mr. He Xinyin's only daughter, a talented woman from the south of the Yangtze River, He Fangqing."

He Liu was overjoyed!This is really hard to find, and it takes no effort to get it!He Xinyin was not caught, but He Xinyin's daughter was found!Liren Academy, not in vain!
He Fangqing finally finished her theory.The scholars nodded frequently: "Miss He is a great talent!"

"Miss He is worthy of Mr. He's daughter! Her knowledge is no less than that of a man!"

He Fangqing sat in the pile of scholars with a jug in her hand.An old man in his 60s came to the center of the circle.

He Liu saw that the old man looked familiar.

The old man reported his family name: "Everyone, I am in Meng Fanxin, Shandong. I am not here today to give lectures, but to talk to you about the affairs of the court!"

As soon as the old man reported himself, He Liu's heart skipped a beat.

In the first year of Wanli, in order to remove obstacles for Zhang Juzheng to carry out the New Deal, He Liu planted more than a dozen Gaogong remnants.resulting in their dismissal.Among them, there is Meng Fanxin who was given by the Ministry of Criminal Justice!

If Meng Fanxin recognized He Liu, it would be difficult.

Luckily, Meng Fanxin was just a public servant back then, so he had no contact with He Liu, the head of Jinyiwei, on weekdays.Besides, it's been six years.Meng Fanxin didn't notice He Liu sitting in the corner.

(End of this chapter)