Chapter 46 Chapter Four Academic Controversy
In the southwest of Kaifeng City, unlike previous years, there is an additional level road connecting Dailou Gate in the south and the official road in front of Xinzheng Gate in the west.This flat avenue, wide enough to accommodate two carriages in parallel, is the first cement avenue in the Song Dynasty.Although it is not as paved with blue bricks like the Royal Street, it is almost as light as a lesson, and it is not as smooth as the official road, but it costs much less manpower and material resources, and it is inevitable that there will be some muddyness in rainy days without the official road.
It was snowing and windy on this day, which was the coldest day of the year in December of the third year of Xining.A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, wearing a white robe under a coir raincoat and a bamboo hat, with a Dali machete on his waist, is riding a white horse, walking slowly on this cement road.
Not far from here is the world-famous Baishuitan College.When I was studying at Yingtian Academy, I heard that this avenue was very lively with people coming and going, and my classmates were all beaming when they mentioned this place.I left my hometown Hongzhou at the age of sixteen to travel around the world, and came to Yingtian Mansion at the age of twenty. I studied in Yingtian Academy for six years. Ordinarily, one would simply get seriously ill and not even have the chance to go to Beijing.Although he is skilled in martial arts, he is unwilling to take the martial arts exam. Didn't Di Qing, a famous general in this dynasty, suffer discrimination because he lacked a Jinshi background?At this time, it was still early before the next provincial examination, and I happened to come to Baishuitan to learn a lot.It's just that the prices in the capital are too expensive, I hope Baishuitan is not as expensive as Kaifeng City, otherwise I won't be able to afford it after all.
The young man walked forward while thinking about his thoughts.Suddenly he heard the sound of a carriage rolling over the snow behind him, he wondered in his heart that there were still people going to Baishuitan like himself in this weather, and couldn't help but look back.
What jumped into view were two carriages, one in front and one behind. Judging from the arrangement of the carriages and the actions of the driver, they should be rented from a carriage house.Seeing the carriage galloping towards him, the young man in white robe pulled the rein and moved his horse aside.But the two carriages stopped beside him. Someone in the carriage in front lifted the thick curtain and asked warmly, "Brother, do you know how far Baishuitan College is?" He looks like a teenager, wearing a green robe, very easy-going and friendly.
The young man in white robe said with a loud smile: "This gentleman has invited me, and this is my first time going to Baishuitan."
"Oh? It's so cold, why don't you get out of the car and go together?" the middle-aged man warmly invited.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I'm used to this kind of weather." The white-robed young man cupped his fists in thanks.
"See you again at Baishuitan Academy. Brother, please."
"Forgive me sir, I will take a step ahead." The white-robed youth swung his whip and drove his horse away on the snow.
After two sticks of incense, you can see a few mounds with dense fruit forests in front of you. Because of the heavy snowfall, the Qiongzhi Yushu looks quite elegant.Between the forest and hills, one can vaguely see a jade-like water pool. Although it is severe winter, it has not frozen yet. It can be seen that the depth of the pool is large, and large flakes of snow fall on the pool water, melting at the slightest touch.Just between the fruit forest and the water pool, there are several gravel paths meandering in, and I don't know where they lead.Looking up, behind the trees, you can see the roofs of the buildings.
"It's probably here." The white-robed young man thought to himself, "It's really a paradise." In order to show his respect, he got off his horse, led the horse and walked slowly, admiring the scenery along the way.After passing around several hills and forests, the voice of reading came faintly, and he listened to it, but it was "...the Master said: Restraining oneself and returning to the rites is benevolence. One day renounces self and returns to the rites, and the world will return to benevolence...", that is The sentence in the sentence, but the voice is immature, but it is quite puzzling.
Following the sound, the panorama of Baishuitan gradually comes into view.The voice came from a row of red brick houses. Now that they got closer, they could hear it more clearly. It was clearly the voice of a twelve or thirteen-year-old child reading.The young man in white robe wondered: Did I go to the wrong place?
Cautiously led the horse and walked over, but saw a stone monument standing in front of the red brick building, with the words "Affiliated to Baishuitan College" written on it, and suddenly realized.From this row of brick houses, turn a corner along the edge of Baishuitan, and you will see the first horizontal door. On the horizontal door, there is a handwritten letter written by Emperor Xining: "Baishuitan College". The couplets on the left and right pillars, the right comment: "The sound of wind, rain, and reading, the sound is in your ears", and the left comment: "Family affairs, state affairs, and world affairs, everything is concerned", but it was written by Shi Yue and Su Shi's calligraphy.
The white-robed young man read silently for a long time, and sighed to himself: "What a caring person!" He led the horse and continued along the concrete path. Bamboos were planted on both sides of this road, and slowly left the white water pond, walking gradually. Gradually, go deeper.Under the bamboo grove, there is a stone chair not far away, apparently for the students to take a rest.Sometimes you can see one or two small roads leading to the forest, and at the end of the road, there are some pavilions indistinctly.
He couldn't watch them one by one, so he just walked along the cement and gravel path. After a short walk, there were more and more people. Many students were walking in the snow. Some people are leaning on the railing under the eaves and singing ditties, and some are sitting in the classroom and studying hard... Whenever the teacher passes by, the students will consciously step aside and bow to say hello.
Seeing him leading the horse in, a few miscellaneous men came over to help him lead the horse to the stable, and asked, "My lord, are you here to study or to visit friends?"
The young man in white robe said with a smile: "Naturally, he is studying."
"That's not a coincidence. The college only recruits new students in September every year. Those who come at this time can study in any class. Although the college only charges a small tuition fee, it does not distribute books or provide accommodation. If you are studying , I can only live in a nearby villager’s house.” Someone said with a smile, and introduced enthusiastically: “But don’t worry, my lord, you can buy books at the Bailaoer Bookstore on the west side of the book, and the price is the same as Tokyo City. If you can find accommodation A villager’s house only costs 350 renminbi a month, which is very cheap. If you want to be quiet, you can live in Bai’s Inn in Dongtou and Qunying Inn in Beitou for only 300 yuan a month, which is much cheaper than Tokyo City Like our stables here, the cost of fodder is only 10% of that in Tokyo City."
When had the young man in white robe seen such an academy, the shop and the academy were integrated, although he found it very convenient, he was still dumbfounded.
It turns out that the number of students in Baishuitan College is increasing day by day, and the classrooms and management are easy to manage, but the problem of student accommodation and living is difficult to solve.Shi Yue didn't want to keep these students out, so he discussed with the patriarchs of Baishuitan and came up with a way to let the villagers of Baishuitan open bookstores, inns, restaurants, clothing stores, laundries, and carriages and horses in the college. , horse stables and other service facilities.Baishuitan College has grown to more than 2,000 students in the past few months, because all students who study in the capital know that Baishuitan has a low cost of living and a good academic atmosphere. I spent one year's tuition fees, live near this college, and can hear different great Confucianism lectures every day, and save a lot of money, why not do it?Moreover, it is very convenient to go to the capital city. You can rent a horse-drawn carriage from a carriage and horse shop, and you will be there in a short time. The price is also much cheaper than in Kaifeng city.
Although the young man in white robe had studied in Yingtian Academy, how could it compare with Baishuitan Academy in terms of scale and magnanimity?And although there are extremely complete commercial services here, the atmosphere between the students and the college is extremely harmonious, and there is no philistine spirit at all, which seems to be taken for granted.He was curiously chatting with the people in the stable, and suddenly he saw someone walking over leading the horse, and the man said in Luoyang, "Boss, feed my horse better. We are from Xijing Shenji Chariot and Horse Co., Ltd." .”
The young man in white robe squinted, but it was the driver of the carriage he met on the road. At this time, the driver unhooked the horse and was leading the horse into the stable.There were a few people walking towards the college in the distance, and the one walking in front was the middle-aged man who was talking to him on the road, and the one walking beside him was also a middle-aged man of similar age, but he looked serious .A group of young scholars followed the two of them, and the scholars behind the middle-aged man who had talked to him looked relaxed and lively; while the scholars behind the serious middle-aged man kept a certain distance from him. In the distance, each of them has a serious expression, like a bodhisattva coming out of a temple.The two groups of people form a stark contrast.He was trying to figure out their identities when suddenly the bells and drums of the academy rang, and the two young men led a large group of professors and teaching assistants to welcome them out. The students automatically lined up in two rows to welcome them.The two young men smiled and said something, looking at their expressions as if they were apologizing and welcoming.
The stable clerk clicked his tongue in a low voice: "What are the origins of these two people? Chief Shi Shan and Mr. Sang brought all the professors out to greet them in person. Such a big ostentation."
The two Luoyang coachmen smiled proudly: "The two Mr. Cheng from Yiluo are here. Although Mr. Shi Shan is famous, we should respect them three points." One is called Mr. Ming Dao, and the other is called Mr. Yi Chuan.
The young man in white robe was taken aback. Seeing that the world's academic masters met three at once, how could he not feel panic?He clasped his fists at the two coachmen, and asked in a low voice, "Those two gentlemen are Master Cheng Haocheng and Mr. Cheng Yicheng from the Yiluo School?"
The two coachmen also recognized the young man in white robes, returned a salute, and said with a smile: "Who else can there be besides these two old men? The one who greeted you on the road just now is Mr. Da Cheng, and the other one is Mr. Mr. Cheng."
"Didn't Cheng Hao be relegated by Wang Anshi to become a county magistrate?" The white-robed youth murmured to himself.
As the two coachmen said, these two middle-aged men are Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi. Everyone in the future knows that they are the creators of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism. The grand master was once scolded for nothing, and all the sins of the world were blamed on the two of them.But all the great men in history are like this. Those who admire them may not really understand them; those who insult them have never read a word of their works.Therefore, some sages once said that if Confucius and Sakyamuni rose from the ground and were resurrected, they would no longer be great men, and what they would suffer first would be the persecution of their followers.The most common thing humans do is to misinterpret the sages, whether it is worship or slander.
Regardless of how later generations view Cheng-Zhu Confucianism, it is an indisputable fact that Er Cheng enjoyed a high reputation among scholars during the three years of Xining.At this time, so-called scholars all over the world believed that they were right and refused to give in to each other. Although it was not as good as the era of "a hundred schools of thought contending" in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, it would not be an exaggeration to call it an era of "a hundred schools of thought contending".In terms of the most influential ones, the world's learning can be roughly divided into Shi Yue's Shi Xue, Wang Anshi's Xin Xue, and Neo Confucianism's Zhou Dunyi School, Shao Yong School, Er Cheng's Yiluo School, and Zhang Zai's Guan Xue , In addition, there are Shu School represented by Su Shi, History School represented by Sima Guang, and so on.
This is an era of mutual interpretation of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism represented by Neo-Confucianism. It is also an era of reinterpretation of Confucian classics represented by Shixue and Xinxue. Similarly, Shixue put forward many highly original philosophies. Theory, the era of philosophical thought founded on the basis of natural science.
To achieve all this, Shi Yue contributed a lot.As early as in April of the third year of Xining, Cheng Hao, Zhang Jian and others in the supervisory censor were demoted to the local area because they opposed the new law. Cheng Hao resigned and returned to his hometown shortly after he took office in the local area, and accepted disciples with his younger brother Cheng Yi. After a one-night discussion with Shi Yue, Zhang Zai resigned himself and returned to his hometown in Shaanxi to establish Hengqu Academy.In December, Shi Yue took advantage of the fact that the method of improving young seedlings was adopted by the emperor, and when Zhao Xu trusted him more, he declined the emperor's reward for him. A large number of famous scholars, such as Sun Jue, who was demoted for impeaching Wang Anshi, who even Wang Anshi felt ashamed to rule "Three Biography of Spring and Autumn", and Shao Yong, who stayed at home in Luoyang since Wang Anshi became prime minister, were all called to Baishuitan College. Professor of Baishuitan College.Zhang Zai wanted to preside over Hengqu Academy, but he could not come, so he sent some disciples to give lectures.For a time, Baishuitan College became the center of human learning in the eleventh century.
The young man in white robe didn't know that what he saw at this time was something that could be written about in human history.He didn't even have time to see clearly the appearance of Shi Yue, who is famous all over the world, Shi and Sang walked into the respected teacher's residence inside the college with Er Cheng.
Zunshiju is a courtyard group near the Confucian Temple. The professors and teaching assistants have the same three rooms: bedroom, study room and living room.Shi Yue also asked people to build a courtyard house near Baishuitan, preparing to live in it for professors and teaching assistants with their families in the future.But at this time, the interior layout is quite simple, there is nothing but a bookshelf, a few tables, bed quilts and a heating stove.The second Cheng chose a house by himself. Cheng Hao chose a house that was relatively outside, while Cheng Yi seemed to prefer quietness and chose a secluded room.The two of them obviously didn't care about the rudimentary layout of the room, and they were quite comfortable with the situation.It's just that Cheng Yi didn't notice that his neighbor is Shao Yong.
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