Chapter 88 denounce the monarchy

"Hey, it's already past noon, why hasn't the food been delivered yet?" Gu Gao, who was hungry, said irritably while looking outside while leaning on the wooden fence of the cell. His question was not answered.Because Huang Zongxi, who was locked up with him, has become very silent since two days ago, and seems to have lost interest in everything.As for Chen Zhenhui, she asked the jailer for a pen and paper, and devoted herself to writing his "Seven Things About Crossing the River" all day long, intending to write down what she experienced and heard in Liudu for more than a year.Hearing Gu Gao speak, he just raised his head, and then refocused on writing.

Today is April 26th, and the three commune members have been squatting for half a month in Dongcheng Prison under the Bingma Division.They were arrested and imprisoned one after another on the second day after Maoxiang fled.At first, they guessed that Wu Yingji and Maoxiang might also be doomed, and they just suffered from no news.It wasn't until a few days later that Zheng Tingqi, the head of the school lieutenant, came to visit in private. They didn't know that Mao and Wu had escaped. They also knew that Zheng Tingqi had gone to inform them the day before the big arrest. At home, it was already a step late to come to the door the next day.Knowing this situation, Chen Zhenhui and Huang Zongxi were fine, but Gu Gao was very remorseful and sighed all day long.In addition, for half a month, they have been locked up for no apparent reason, neither interrogated nor released, which made Gu Gao even more unbearable, and his mood became worse and worse.At this moment, he probably saw that the two members of the company were indifferent, and he became anxious again, turned around, and asked angrily:

"Even if you're going to die, you should have a final meal! It's nothing to be ignored!" After finishing speaking, he slapped the wooden fence vigorously, opened his voice, and yelled "Hey-hey-hey-". Even so, there was still no response from the outside, but the prisoners in the next cell were startled, and there were disturbing sounds. Seeing her friend like this, Chen Zhenhui finally put down her pen, went forward to hold Gu Gao's arm, and said comfortingly: "Zi Fang, there is no need to do this, the outside must be delayed by something, and it will be delivered in a while. Come on, And sit down, I have something to say to my brother."

Gu Gao refused to obey at first, but Chen Zhenhui persuaded him again and again, so he followed him back to the kang, and sat down with a mournful face. This is a low and decaying earth kang, covered with a straw mat full of cracks and holes. After using it for countless years, the grass stubble on the mat has turned black and rotted. will fall off.On the contrary, the edge of the earth kang, after years of rubbing by prisoners one after another, has become black, hard and shiny, like a section of bumpy wooden rafters.On the back and on the left and right sides of the kang are three unpainted brick walls, covered with filth, and some crooked words carved with fingernails or tiles, some are a poem, some are a few words, Most of the content is inseparable from the sigh of being wronged and wronged, as well as the longing for relatives at home.Probably the meaning of the words is too sad, which made the latecomers unbearable to read, and many of them were scraped off and crossed out, making them a bit confusing and difficult to recognize.

Now, Chen Zhenhui's eyes lingered on such a wall.However, he was not trying to read the writing on it, but was thinking about how to comfort Gu Gao. Ever since the news of Zuo Liangyu's march to the east spread, Chen Zhenhui had already estimated the possible consequences of it, including the current consequences, and considered whether she should withdraw as soon as possible to avoid disaster.However, he also thought that if Zuo Liangyu succeeded in "Qing Jun's side" and the power of the court returned to the Donglin faction, then he would be regarded as timid and weak-minded because of "running away".Even if they are not completely rejected, it may be difficult for them to gain a foothold in the new pattern.This will be painful and unacceptable to Chen Zhenhui, who wholeheartedly expects to be among the political core to fulfill her ambitions.Because of such hesitation, he ended up in today's situation.However, perhaps because he has prepared in advance for both good and bad consequences, he can deal with the harsh arrangement of fate relatively calmly.In fact, due to various reasons, people with lofty ideals who failed to fight in the political arena and were brutally persecuted, and finally died, can be said to be countless.Among them are the ancestors of Donglin during the Tianqi period.And their fame will last forever.This should be nothing to complain about for those who have closely linked their lifelong career with Jianji Tianxia.Just because she fully realized this point, Chen Zhenhui was able to treat Gu Gao's restlessness with a tolerant, even compassionate mind, and always try to forgive him as much as possible.

"Zi Fang, please relax!" After pondering for a while, he said in a comforting tone, "According to what I think, this matter may not be as serious as what I think. Don't you see that we have been here for half a month, and we haven't seen each other yet." There must be no evidence in their hands for interrogation. If so, the laws of the country are in place, so they can't make a random decision!" After a pause, he saw that Gu Gao was silent and still had a sad expression on his face. He said again: "Besides, this time, the traitors are taking advantage of power and arresting innocent people indiscriminately. People will not understand what they did. Huang An said the other day, Brother Zewang is running around outside complaining, this matter has already caused a stir in the government, sooner or later someone will come forward to speak for us. Even though Ma Yaocao is vicious, and he is judged by the public, he probably did not dare to kill him. Zuo Liangyu was defeated Afterwards, the situation has gradually calmed down, we just need to wait for a while longer, when the case is cold, and ask someone to explain it calmly, there may not be no hope of relief!"

Gu Gao shook his head dully, and said in despair: "It would be great if Zuo Bing really came, but he was defeated again! What hope is there for throwing us to such an extent! Both Zhou and Lei were killed How can a dog thief let us go!" After a pause, he suddenly raised his head, opened his eyes, and said loudly angrily: "If you want to die, die quickly, I, Gu, am not afraid! But it is closed every day. , suffer for no reason, there is no end, brother can endure it, but I can't bear it—I can't bear it! Do you know!" "Brother, don't worry." Chen Zhenhui stared at her friend sympathetically, shaking her head lightly, "I won't let my brother wait like this. Speaking of which, it is my brother who is responsible for the troubles my brother and others have fallen into today. When "Seven Things About Crossing the River" was drafted, my younger brother drew up another form, writing out the details of the process of publishing "Liudu Anti-Riot Public Exposure", as well as the dispute between Tiger Hill and the use of jokes to scold the audience, one by one. , explaining that it is all my plan and has nothing to do with my brother. I also tell Ruan Yuanhai that if I want to take revenge, my brother is willing to take it with me and not affect others. If this is the case, this prison should be ended as soon as possible, and brothers and others will also Hope to get out of the trap sooner!"

Chen Zhenhui said these words in a calm and firm tone.In fact, he was determined to do the same.However, Gu Gao was stunned all of a sudden.He stared at his friend for a long time, as if he didn't know him.Gradually, an expression mixed with excitement, regret, and pain appeared on his face with a long nose, and a pair of eyes also became red and moist.Suddenly, he left the kang, staggered a step forward, threw himself at Chen Zhenhui's feet, and said loudly with sobs: "No, no, brother can't do that! Brother is not wrong, brother is wrong! Brother should have never, never should have, should not have listened to brother's honest advice, and ended up in today's situation! Brother only understands now , brother is right! It is right! Brother must not let brother blame himself! No, no, really!"

Seeing Gu Gao's face full of tears and regret, Chen Zhenhui's heart felt hot, and her eyes couldn't help but get wet.In fact, in the past half a year, after experiencing more and more serious misunderstandings, accusations, rejection and isolation from members of the community, I finally heard the confession and repentance from the bottom of my heart. For Chen Zhenhui, there is nothing more worthwhile than this. Relieved and excited.He quickly stood up, stretched out his arms, and while vigorously helping Gu Gao up, he planned to repay Gu Gao with a more sincere confession.However, at this moment, Huang Zongxi's cold voice came from behind:

"Hmph, what's wrong with us? We're not wrong at all! If there is a mistake, it's because Shi Daolin, Lu Yanruo, Zhang Jinming, Jiang Juzhi, and Gao Yanwen all went away and handed over the imperial court to Ma. Old thief!" Huang Zongxi has always been dissatisfied with Shi Kefa's invitation to supervise Yangzhou.Chen Zhenhui knew this.However, Lu Daqi, Zhang Shenyan, Jiang Yueguang, Gao Hongtu and others resigned because Ma Shiying and his henchmen repeatedly attacked them, and Emperor Hongguang not only did not stop them, but deliberately sided with the attackers, making them feel that they were in the court. It is impossible to stay in China any longer, so he resigned as a last resort.Now, Huang Zongxi even accused them, but Chen Zhenhui was a little surprised.He turned his head and looked suspiciously at Huang Zongxi who was sitting alone in the corner, but didn't answer right away.

"In the end," Huang Zongxi raised his head and asked angrily, "When a gentleman becomes an official in the court, is it for the world or for the monarch? Is it for the people, or for the same surname? Huh? Brother, say it!" Chen Zhenhui knew that the other party's temper was extreme, and his views were often different, and most of those strange thoughts were deeply drilled, so they couldn't be guessed right away.After hesitating for a moment, he replied cautiously: "'The Son of Heaven is ordered by the Heaven, and the world is ordered by the Son of Heaven'. To be a monarch is to be for the world. This is a common principle from ancient to modern times, and there seems to be no doubt about it." Huang Zongxi snorted: "The common sense of ancient and modern times? This is just a rhetoric used by Han Confucianism to flatter the monarch! Later generations will publicize it and worship it, so that the world thinks that the truth is the same. Why not!" "Oh, so brother thinks..." "In ancient times, the establishment of a monarch was actually because the world had public interests to prosper and public harms to eliminate. Therefore, the person who advocated it was elected to do his work. At that time, the world was the master, and the monarch was actually a guest. And because the world is so big , cannot be governed by one person, but must be divided among groups of workers, so the establishment of people and ministers is restored. Therefore, although the names of the monarch and the ministers are different, they are the same-it is nothing more than sharing the work for all the people in the world! Knowing this, then As a minister, the place of entry and exit should be based on the good and bad fortune of all the people in the world, and should not be based on the monarch's closeness, likes and dislikes. If Lu, Zhang, Jiang, and Gao are the princes, they are only indifferent to the present. , I felt uneasy, hurriedly returned home, and ignored the responsibility of all people in the world, this is also the same as Shi Daolin's request to go out to guard Huaiyang, which is the same as the righteousness of an ignorant monarch and minister!" At that time, the weight of monarchy had reached its peak.As early as the early years of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, in order to "receive the power of the world to one person", Emperor Taizu abolished the system of prime ministers that had lasted for more than 1,000 years and the system of three provinces that had lasted for more than 700 years, and merged the power of ministers into the monarchy. The provinces were abolished, the "three divisions" directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court were established, the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion was abolished, and the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies was set up separately, with the military part in charge of the military power; set up.All of this extends the power of the monarchy to the extreme.Taizu of the Ming Dynasty was also very annoyed by Mencius' words such as "the people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least", and "the emperor regards his ministers as worthless, but the ministers regard the emperor as a bandit." Expelled from the Confucian Temple, and deleted one-third of the book "Mencius".After this series of severe measures, the monarch has a sacred and inviolable absolute authority, which has become a deep-rooted concept in people's minds.Now, Huang Zongxi once again expressed his criticism of the sovereign status of the monarch, and actually believed that the subjects should have a will independent of the monarch. This is indeed a shocking statement.So Chen Zhenhui, in astonishment, forgot to answer, and just stared blankly at her friend full of doubts and fears. However, Huang Zongxi was clearly attracted by the thoughts presented at this moment, he became excited, and his eyes began to sparkle. "That's right," he stood up straight, waving his hands and said loudly, "The righteousness of a monarch and his ministers has been obscured for a long time! People in modern times think that ministers are established for the emperor, and for the emperor to rule all the people in the world. One dynasty When I become an official, only the owner knows that the grace of encounter is a lot, so he rushes to serve, and treats himself as a servant, maidservant and concubine without doubting. In fact, it is absurd! You must know that the reason why there are kings and ministers in the world is because there are all people in the world. If I If there is no responsibility for all the people in the world, what does the king have to do with me? And in terms of taking on the responsibility of the world, the distinction between monarch and minister is nothing more than a teacher and a friend! In the early Wanli period, Emperor Shenzong treated Zhang Jiangling with a slightly better courtesy than the ancient ones. Master, before he reached one of the hundred, the commentators were horrified to think that Jiangling had no ministers. In fact, the people in Jiangling were not able to treat themselves as masters, but listened to eunuchs and concubines. The world does not blame this, is it not ignorance? very!" At first, Chen Zhenhui just listened in astonishment, but when she saw that her friend was talking more and more openly, more and more inappropriately, and apparently completely forgot that she was in prison at the moment, he couldn't help feeling worried, and kept saying: "Too aggressive, don't say it, don't say it anymore!" However, nothing works.I saw Huang Zongxi's little face was flushed with excitement, and his eyes became more sharp and persistent.Obviously, he was surrounded by the brilliance of what he believed to be the truth, and he was frantically trying to grasp it, develop it, and let it illuminate the darkness around him.In this situation, even if you hang a sharp knife around your neck, it may not be able to stop his speech—— "Besides, the order and chaos of the world do not lie in the rise and fall of a surname, but in the joy and sorrow of the people. For example, the fall of Jie and Zhou can only bring order to the world; the rise of the Qin government and the Mongols is only enough to cause chaos in the world. Yan, thought that the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers had no place to escape between heaven and earth. As far as the violence of Jie and Zhou was concerned, it was still said that Tang and Wu should not punish him, and spread false stories about Boyi and Shuqi. There is no difference between grass and mustard. Just think about it, brother, the world is so big that there are thousands of people and surnames. How can one person and one surname be the only one? Therefore, King Wu is a true sage, and Mencius’ words are the truth of a sage. Those who do not stand are really unreasonable!" Chen Zhenhui stared dumbfounded at her friend who was talking nonsense, and her heart became more and more horrified. "Ah, 'The order and chaos of the world does not depend on the rise and fall of a family'. According to what he said, isn't it even irrelevant whether the Ming Dynasty can be revived now? According to this, if it can bring peace to all people, no matter it is , Jianlu, or anyone else, why not openly support and serve them? This, what a rebellious statement this is!" Now, Chen Zhenhui feels that Huang Zongxi's thinking is very dangerous and terrifying. "Hey, how did he come up with the idea of ​​having no father and no king? How did he become like this? It seems that it is because he is too fond of thinking wildly, and in addition to the current situation, he has entered the path of the devil. I don't know!" Thinking of this, Chen Zhenhui became serious.He was no longer surprised, but felt it was his duty to severely reprimand his friend, lest one day, the other party would do something as shameful as Hong Chengchou, Wu Sangui, or Zhou Zhong, Fang Yizhi. When Chen Zhenhui raised her head, she found that Huang Zongxi had automatically stopped speaking.As if awakened suddenly from some kind of confusion, he looked at Chen Zhenhui, then at Gu Gao.Seeing the two friends looking at him gloomyly, showing no sign of excitement or agreement with what he just said, Huang Zongxi's thin face, which had not faded from the excitement and flush, showed doubts, Terrified expression.For a moment, he hesitated and opened his mouth a few times, as if he wanted to explain something, but in the end he just bit his lip tightly, lowered his head like a bull about to horn, and frowned obstinately.