Chapter 4 Chapter Four: The "Spiritual Mentor" of the Tang Dynasty

As the saying goes: Heroes come out of troubled times. The Peasant War at the end of the Sui Dynasty was a troubled time where heroes emerged.First, Du Fuwei, Dou Jiande, Liu Heita, Wang Shichong, and Liang Shidu, all the heroes from all walks of life segregated one after another, and the heroes competed for the throne. "Chasing" to the end, but the inconspicuous Li Tang laughed at the end and left the novel. In the novel, the name of the hero of Wagang is passed down to the world.The Tang Dynasty was even more heroic. Under Li Shimin's command, Wen Youfang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and other 18 bachelors, Wuyou Li Jing, Hou Junji, Li Shiji and other famous generals fought on the battlefield.In the war-torn era, many of the brilliant names have been passed down to this day.

However, there is such a person who lived in the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty. He never rose up and became a hero; Honesty; even gossip about romantic affairs in film and television dramas are not seen one or two.His name is still unknown today, but his outstanding achievements are far better than the battle of thousands of troops on the battlefield.He swept across the world with one pen, and drew a blueprint for a prosperous age. His far-reaching influence, whether it was a strategist who counted the world or a fierce general who swallowed thousands of miles, was almost unmatched by anyone in that era.

People today know very little about Wang Tong, but it is no exaggeration to say that if there was Guiguzi in the Warring States Period, he would be the number one wise man in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. But looking at the resume of this legendary figure, it is very simple. Wang Tong, courtesy name Zhongyan, was born in 580 A.D. When he was one year old, he caught up with Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, who took over from the Northern Zhou Dynasty and established the Great Sui Dynasty. No one would have thought that this babbling baby at that time, His future achievements will far surpass this dynasty, and even this era.

Wang Tong was born in Hejin, Shanxi Province, and was born in a local Confucian family. During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty, he passed the examination of scholar in one fell swoop.At that time, "Xiu Cai" was not as worthless as Fan Jinzhong's examination. At that time, the imperial examinations in the Sui Dynasty were just beginning, and "Xiu Cai" was the highest level of examination. Before Wang Tong, Du Zhengxuan was the only one who passed the examination. At present, there are only a dozen scholars, and the scholars at this time are almost equivalent to the number two in the imperial examinations of the later dynasty.

And such achievements are also inseparable from his family background.His father, Wang Long, used to be a great Confucian in Shanxi. He was an official in the court during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.When Wang Long was an official, he wrote 7 chapters of "On the Rise and Fall" to Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.Wang Tongqing was born in the blue. Before being a scholar, he was a local Confucian at a young age. At the age of 23, he was summoned by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty to publish "Twelve Strategies for Taiping".At this time, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was aspiring to build a "great achievement", so Wang Tong was of course frustrated. After that, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty arranged for him to be the servant of the King of Shu. Wang Tong did not do well, so he resigned and went home soon.After that, he only did one thing—teaching, except for being a scholar.

The most important activity of Wang Tong is to open classes and recruit disciples. He set up a school in Longmen, his hometown, to recruit disciples, and at the same time intensively study Confucian works.The bank of the Little White Niu River became his paradise for escape from the world. After that, he was recommended by the local officials to be a scholar. But at this time, the Sui Dynasty was under heavy tyranny and civil unrest. He didn't want to go through this muddy water, so he continued to return Lecture.Until the eve of the demise of the Sui Dynasty, that is, in 617 AD, he died of illness at home at the age of 37.

This is Wang Tong's whole life. On the surface, he is an unwilling Confucian student, a gentleman who makes a living by lecturing. The spiritual mentor of the dynasty. Wang Tong's achievements are first of all academic achievements. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Wang Tong's primary status was "Master of Chinese Studies". His school was called "Hefen School" at that time, and people gave him the nickname "Wang Confucius" at that time, comparing him with the Confucian sage Confucius. It can be compared with Confucius, first of all because he completed the "Continued Six Classics", which is the result of his continued research with his own theory after studying Confucius' "Six Classics".In his "Continued Six Classics", there is his core ideal of this dynasty-the thought of kingship.As early as the age of 23 when he met Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Wang Tong put forward his own concept of governing the country, that is, to lighten the tax and implement benevolent government. After years of study, he raised his own set of ideas to the "kingly way" The height of the state, that is, the change of the national regime, whether the ruler of the country is orthodox depends on whether the ruler has implemented the "kingly way", and those who practice the kingly way are the kingly rule. This is the core of Wang Tong's theory.

If we focus on the future generations, it is not difficult to find that since the Tang Dynasty, all the contenders for hegemony in the past dynasties, as long as they have some insight, all talk about the word "kingly way".The traditional values ​​of loyalty, treachery, good and evil have undergone a brand new change starting from Wang Tong, that is, judging whether he is good or evil based on the status of the ruler and the way he won the country. To define whether it is "orthodox" or not. Wang Tong's thought was not very famous when he was alive, but after he left, with the founding of the Li and Tang Dynasty, his thought was known by more and more people, and it was also popular among the rulers. Used.Compared with the "kingly way" thought, his other proposition also has tenacious vitality - the integration of the three religions.

The integration of the three religions, that is, the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, he advocated that the three religions originated from the same stream, and on the premise that Confucianism is the main culture, the three schools are mutually tolerant and mutually reinforcing.Since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism have been fighting continuously.Although Confucianism is orthodox, the great prosperity of Buddhism in the Southern and Northern Dynasties had a great impact on Confucian culture. The earliest thought of the unity of the three religions originated from Emperor Liang Wu, who worshiped Buddhism. .Since the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the rulers of all dynasties have been vacillating around the issue of adoring and destroying Buddha. They either destroyed Buddhism and cleaned up temples like Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, or advocated Buddhism and ignored government affairs like Emperor Xuan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.Compared with the extensive and profound culture of the Central Plains, the Buddhist culture at this time is still in the floating stage that is difficult to tolerate.However, this contradiction, starting from Wang Tong, found an optimal combination point. He advocated that the three religions should learn from each other, and use Confucian culture to transform foreign civilizations. Through mutual exchanges, foreign civilizations can be transformed into local cultures. The mutual reconciliation between doctrines begins here.And Wang Tong himself practiced it himself. He had many students, including Confucian scholars who studied abroad, monks who practiced Buddhism, and even Taoists who traveled abroad. The academic temple of acceptance.

If we turn our attention to later generations, it is not difficult to find that since the Tang Dynasty after the demise of the Sui Dynasty, Chinese rulers have opened up to the outside world with a broad mind and widely accepted various religious and academic schools. Islam, and even Christianity, have been widely spread in China since the Tang Dynasty and influenced later generations. However, the dominant position of Chinese local culture has not disappeared under the impact of foreign cultures. Wang Tong is a pioneer with exuberant vitality and the open and inclusive spirit of Confucian culture.

Wang Tong's academy is not only an academic palace, but also a political palace. Many of Wang Tong’s acquaintances were influential figures in the late Sui Dynasty. They all had prominent experiences and created extraordinary achievements. He followed suit.Among them, some young talents who were at a loss for the future, took Wang Tong as their teacher, found their way to the future, and finally found their own position in the vigorous struggle for hegemony in the late Sui Dynasty.During the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Wu Xuezi left his hometown and traveled thousands of miles to Shanxi, just to find the way to the future from Wang Tong. Wang Tong himself was almost involved in the political vortex.First, after he was a scholar in high school, Prime Minister Yang Su invited him to be an official in the court. At this time, the tyranny of the Sui Dynasty had been established and the building was irreparable. Naturally, Wang Tong would not be buried for the dying dynasty.Then in 613 AD, Yang Su's son Yang Xuangan visited. This time he was not invited to be an official, but Wang Tong was asked to help him rebel. Yang Xuangan was not the "royal king" he had imagined. He only devoted his life to teaching, and he did not see the end of the Sui Dynasty in the end.However, from his academy, countless elites walked out. Those disciples who carried his kingly ideals left after Wang Tong's death. The general situation at the end of the Sui Dynasty changed because of them. Regarding Wang Tong's disciples, you might as well make a list, it will be a very long roster. Famous ministers of Zhenguan: Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Li Jing, Chen Shuda, Li Mi, Li Shiji, Zhang Xuansu, Wen Daya... Wang Tong's disciples almost constituted the team of famous ministers in the later Zhenguan prosperous age, and the ideal of "practicing the king's way" was finally realized by the prosperous Tang Dynasty.And his theory is far-reaching, even throughout the entire feudal era of China.Confucian culture in this period was far from being conservative, stubborn, and backward in the late Qing Dynasty. On the contrary, its enlightenment and tolerance were the spiritual cornerstone of the prosperous Sui and Tang Dynasties.