Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Hou Xuan is Hou Meng's third son. He is 26 years old and currently studying in the Imperial College.

The appearance is quite similar to that of his father. He is a bit scary when he comes out during the day, but he can scare ghosts when he comes out at night.

Before the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty, there were also requirements for appearance. If you are too ugly or have a disability, no matter how good you are in the exam, get out as soon as possible.

"Go and see what kind of knowledge they teach, and then see what kind of person Zhu Chenggong is," Hou Meng got the order from Song Huizong and told his son when he returned home, "Don't have a close relationship with him. This person has offended Cai's party and was criticized by the officials." If you take it seriously, you will most likely be besieged by traitors in the future."

Hou Xuan said: "Why should father be discouraged? Cai Jing has enemies on all sides, and sooner or later he will lose power."

Hou Meng shook his head and said: "The officials like to play chess. I am a chess piece, and Zhu Chenggong is also a chess piece. We are just pawns, but Cai Jing is a chariot and horse. At the critical moment, he abandons the pawn and protects the chariot. At most, within a year or two, for the sake of My father will be demoted, so why involve young people? If we don’t have a close relationship with Zhu Chenggong, he can stay in the capital for a few more years."

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, there was already chess, called Xiangxi, Xianggexi, and even Sanxiangxi, a game played by three people, and Guangxiangxi, played by seven people.

Soldiers, you can walk diagonally...

Hou Xuan carried the sword and went out with an entourage.

His character is similar to that of his father when he was young. He likes to make friends with heroes and spends a lot of money.

Before Hou Meng, the deputy prime minister, was admitted to Jinshi, he worked as a ranger for several years and was often ridiculed for his ugly appearance.

One spring, at a gathering of scholars, someone painted Hou Meng's face on a kite and flew it into the sky.

Faced with such teasing, Hou Meng wrote a poem on the spot: "Who would believe it if you have never met Xingzang? Now there is no trace of his name. It is described by a good craftsman without any reason. When the wind is gentle, he borrows strength and flies into the sky. Only then can he boast that his body is gradually becoming more stable, only I went to the Toad Palace in doubt. The sunset was red after the rain. A few people were on the ground, looking at me in the blue sky!"

All the scholars were ashamed and admired him, and did not dare to joke about Hou Meng's appearance.

Hou Xuan took his father's mission and rode to the Cai River. After asking around, he knew where Ju Ming was.

There were many scholars and common people at the scene, not only those who were taking the exams, but even some students from the Imperial College and Imperial College came quietly.

"Who is Zhu Chenggong?" Hou Xuan asked.

The scholar next to him said: "The person lecturing at the moment is Zhu Chenggong. Mr. Mo'an talked for a full hour and then went to drink water and rest."

Hou Xuan asked his entourage to hold the horse and wait while he continued to squeeze in.

But I heard someone question: "Brother Chenggong always puts 'I' as the foundation, so where is the discipline? 'I' can be the wife, and the wife is the foundation without the husband. 'I' can be the son, the son is the foundation without the father.' I 'You can be a minister. Where should I put the king for the sake of being a minister?"

Ju Ming said: "This brother is talking about the Three Cardinal Principles. But the Three Cardinal Principles cannot be discussed alone. It must be discussed together with the Three Cardinal Principles, the Six Disciplines, the Three Cardinal Principles and the Five Constant Principles. What is the Gang? Have you ever seen a fishing net? The Gang is when a fisherman throws out the fishing net. The rope you hold in your hand. If you only care about that rope everywhere, if the rope is crooked or broken, no matter how good the fishing net is, will you be able to catch fish?"

"Please elaborate." The person who questioned said.

Zhu Ming said: "Ban Gu first advocated the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Six Disciplines, but he also said that everyone has the five constant natures. When discussing the meaning of the Three Cardinal Guidelines, he said that the king is the leader of the group, and the subordinates are the ones who return to the heart. The father is the rule, and the father is the rule. The Dharma teaches the children. The husband supports them, and he uses the way to support them."

"If a man is a king and does not follow the rules, should his children obey them? If a man is a father and does not follow the laws, should his children obey them? If a man is a husband and does not support his wife, should his wife obey him? No!"

"The Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Five Constant Rules talk about the moral principles that should be observed between king and minister, father and son, husband and wife, elders and children, and friends. It does not mean that if the king is the guideline for his ministers, then the minister must be loyal to his king; nor is it to say that the father is the guideline for his son. , a son must be foolish and filial to his father; not to mention, if a husband is his wife’s guide, a wife must blindly obey her husband.”

"Let me ask your Excellency, there is a couple. The wife is virtuous and virtuous, and there is nothing wrong with her. But the husband eats, drinks, whores, and gambles, ruining the family property and ancestral property. He also beats and scolds the wife frequently. The husband, help him. Such a husband has never supported his wife. ? Should his wife still obey him? "

The man shook his head and said, "Of course you shouldn't."

Ju Ming said: "A woman has the virtues of a woman, and a husband has the virtues of a husband. If the husband does not abide by his virtues, it means that the moral code is broken. There is no need to talk about the husband's moral principles for his wife. The wife should give advice. If she does not change after repeated advice, she should simply divorce her. , get divorced and then marry a good husband!"

"Well done, little sir!"

But it was an aunt who was yelling at the top of her voice. She was carrying a basket on her arm. She was probably here to shop.

There were many women who attended the lecture, and they all felt that what Ju Ming said made sense.

Ban Gu, who first advocated the Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Sixth Discipline, used the Five Constant Rules to explain the Three Cardinal Guidelines separately.

Later, Zhu Xi combined the three cardinal principles and the five constant principles and made it clear. The responsibilities of king and minister, father and son, and husband and wife are all coordinated in both directions. We cannot abandon obligations and only talk about power.

However, the world only talks about the three cardinal principles, deliberately ignores or even misinterprets the five constant principles, and only emphasizes the relationship between superiors and subordinates, but does not talk about the responsibilities of being a king, a father, and a husband.

Zhu Ming then said to the young scholars: "Ban Gu said that fathers should follow the rules and teach their children with the law. Fathers have no rules and do not follow the laws themselves. Should sons listen to the great principles they say?"

Young people have a somewhat rebellious mentality and can empathize with Ju Ming's words.

But they didn't dare to shout out directly, so a burst of laughter broke out on the scene to express their approval.

The emperor has no ministers, what should the ministers do?

Ju Ming did not say this, but the truth is there anyway.

Ju Ming continued: "The theory of 'I am' and 'Fangju' is to use oneself as a straight ruler to draw the family, country and world into a more square shape. If a husband loses his straight line, he should correct himself. If a father loses his straight line, he should straighten his head. Reminder. If you lose track of your principles, you should give advice."

Someone else asked: "If the husband loses his virginity, the wife can divorce and remarry. If the father loses his virginity, can he still recognize a father again?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Everyone laughed.

Zhu Ming said sternly: "If a father loses his integrity, and if he cannot be persuaded to correct it, the son should always check for his father's mistakes and make up for them. But if the father brings harm to the country and the people, the son should draw a clear line and even sever the relationship between father and son. Otherwise, If so, are we still going to help the tyrants to do evil and act as a stooge?"

Someone immediately objected: "What's the explanation for stealing and escaping?" (Mencius said, if Gaotao was the chief judge, Shun's father committed murder and committed a crime. Shun should first let the chief judge arrest the person. This is justice. Shun then took care of him himself. It was filial piety to run away with his father. At the same time, Shun had to give up the throne.)

Zhu Ming replied: "The righteousness of annihilating relatives is what it means!" ("Zuo Zhuan" records that Shi Jue's son rebelled, and Shi Que trapped his son to death. This is the righteousness of annihilating relatives.)

"Where are you hiding from each other?" someone asked again.

Ju Ming said: "Confucianism emphasizes benevolence and righteousness, and righteousness comes first. Relatives can hide from each other, but they must comply with righteousness. The allusion of fleeing does not mean that Shun should carry his father on his back and run away. It should first order Gaotao to arrest Shun's father. , Shun had to give up the throne so that he could fulfill his filial piety. If Shun did not give up the throne and did not let Gao Tao arrest people, then Shun would have lost his righteousness, and this would be foolish filial piety without justice."

This explanation is convincing enough.

Hou Xuan listened for a while and couldn't help but clapped his hands and cheered, which solved his doubts about loyalty and filial piety.

Between father and son, it is possible to destroy relatives in a just and righteous manner.

So between the monarch and his ministers, is it possible to destroy the monarch with justice?

Of course, Ju Ming did not dare to talk about it, and there was no need to talk about it, because Mencius had already given the answer--killing one husband, Zhou, had not heard of regicide.

A single man can be killed, but it does not count as regicide!

After Zhu Ming talked for a while, he went to set up a stall to sell goods, and Chen Yuan came over to give lectures.

Chen Yuan's style is different. He is not as radical as Ju Ming. He talks about various truths and makes people feel like spring breeze.

Hou Xuan came from Shandong. From the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, Shandong scholars were called "despicable Confucians". They rarely take the imperial examination. Instead, they crazily recite Ming Jing and memorize Confucian classics. Li Bai even wrote a poem specifically, saying that Shandong scholars only know how to preach and are blind when doing serious things, so they should just go back to Shandong and farm.

Hou Xuan, a Shandong native, does not belong to any sect. He is very excited about this, but he wants to join the "Tao Yong Sect".

As for his father's advice, he had long forgotten it.

Close the stall in the evening and return to the inn.

Many scholars also put away their stalls and dispersed carrying small commodities.

People who were on the same journey gathered around Chen Yuan and Zhu Ming, chatting excitedly.

In fact, Ju Ming was also crazily supplementing his knowledge. He read a lot of classics when he was in Yangzhou Academy, and he also asked Chen Yuan some key questions in Daming Village.

For example, what we are talking about today is "killing relatives for the sake of justice", which was given by Chen Yuan. Ju Ming only knew the idiom but did not know its etymology.

"Chen Dong, courtesy name Shaoyang, I have met Mr. Mo'an and Brother Chenggong!" A student from the Imperial College rushed over and bowed to them.

Chen Yuan returned the gift with a smile, but when Ju Ming returned the gift, he couldn't help but look at this person a few more times.

The Tai student in front of me led the first student movement in Chinese history. The concept of "Six Thieves" also came from Chen Dong.

Unfortunately, later because he prevented Zhao Gou from going to Jinling and asked Zhao Gou to return the capital to Kaifeng, he was ordered to be killed by Zhao Jiu.

Chen Dong asked: "Can you two give a lecture specifically for Tai students? There are too many people on both sides of the Cai River. Many times, we can't squeeze in and can't hear clearly."

Chen Yuan expressed regret: "Tai Xue does not allow outsiders to preach."

Chen Dong said: "If we are to speak outside the city, I will bring the Tai students there. There will be at least several hundred people."

"Okay." Chen Yuan nodded.

Hou Xuan also went over to report his name, but the city gate was about to close, and Ju Ming lived outside the city, so he could only come back to communicate the next day.

He returned home on horseback and said excitedly: "Father, Mr. Chen is a true Confucian, and Zhu Chenggong also knows the classics and meanings. Both of them are pillars of the country."

"I already know." Hou Meng said calmly.

He was completely disappointed with the current situation and just wanted to protect himself and do some small things. The Shandong ranger in his boyhood has long gone and will never return, leaving only a sense of twilight.

Liu Kui fell, Zhang Shangying fell, and it was his turn next.

Song Huizong had a changeable personality, and his thoughts came up one after another. Under the crazy slander of the traitor party, Hou Meng can survive for at most one or two years.

It is true to use him to check and balance Cai Jing, but there are too many such candidates, and they are consumables in the eyes of Song Huizong.

Only Cai Jing is indispensable. Who can make people master the art of making money?