r18novel Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Chapter 149
As the eunuchs distributed the books one by one, the poetry gathering came to an end.
The poetry gathering started grandly, proceeded uneventfully, and ended abruptly.
This left the scholars completely bewildered.
Some astute individuals speculated that the focus of the poetry gathering might very well lie in that book.
On the way back to the city, I couldn't resist opening it and reading it.
Those who didn't notice anything unusual, bored, also started flipping through the books.
Some people believe that what is written in the book is just pointless whining and has no practical significance.
Many people are also very fond of this book, or the philosophy of mind it expounds.
For ordinary people, the worries are about three meals a day, being well-fed and clothed.
They have no spiritual needs; more accurately, they are not even satisfied with their material needs, and have no interest in considering these things.
However, most of these scholars came from wealthy families and did not need to worry about food.
Taking the imperial examinations was a kind of spiritual pursuit for them, but they couldn't possibly devote all their energy to it.
Moreover, some of these people have already passed the exam, while those who haven't passed will have to wait three years until the next imperial examination, so there's no need to rush.
At this time, their minds are in a state of emptiness.
Scholars have always had a common problem.
There is often a tendency among writers to look down on each other, and they like to nitpick others' works or ways of doing things in order to highlight their own superiority.
This phenomenon is often associated with excessive self-awareness, which leads intellectuals to regard themselves as the sole holders of knowledge or truth, thus forming closed cliques, becoming detached from the reality of the masses, and even distorting the advocacy for the people into "advocating for oneself."
Simply put, scholars, in order to show that they have not wasted their time reading books, love to discuss profound issues.
When everyone is discussing national affairs and the world, simply following suit is nothing more than conformity.
In later generations, many scholars liked to ponder the meaning of life.
If we follow their logic, what meaning is there for ordinary people to live?
Facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky, they toil all year round, and even having enough to eat is a luxury.
What is the meaning of such a life?
Of course, this is not to say that some high-level thinking and exploration is wrong.
Without these, society would not progress.
However, most intellectuals consider themselves superior and their thoughts are completely detached from reality.
For scholars in the Song Dynasty today, what topic could be more profound than the philosophy of mind?
The reason why intellectuals maintain so-called rules and regulations is because they insist on these rules and regulations.
It's because they've read books; although they haven't broken free from the constraints of rules and regulations, they're still able to voice their opinions.
They must be far stronger than ordinary people, belonging to the vested interests, so naturally they will protect them.
But that doesn't mean they like these rules and regulations.
When they become beneficiaries, they are also constrained by those rules and regulations.
The idea that starving to death is a small matter but losing one's integrity is a great matter is not advocated by Neo-Confucianism.
It is only the Neo-Confucian school that emphasizes this matter.
It's not that there's anything wrong with this statement, but rather that it's too harsh, elevating trivial matters to the level of moral integrity.
But they dare not oppose these rules and regulations, otherwise their own interests will be harmed, and what is the point of maintaining them for so many years?
In their view, the philosophy of mind is about breaking free from these constraints.
Ultimately, everything comes from the heart.
The most important thing is that the School of Mind was just emerging and was different from traditional Confucianism.
After years of transmission and refinement by countless scholars, traditional Confucianism has long since lost much of its potential.
No matter how well they learn or how well they express their opinions, it's difficult for them to come up with anything new.
Since the philosophy of mind has just emerged, if they can express some views and gain some recognition, it will greatly increase their fame.
Of course, there will always be people who like something and people who don't.
While some support the philosophy of mind, others naturally oppose it.
Upon returning to Bianjing, these scholars gathered in small groups to discuss the matter, which led to numerous disputes.
It was precisely because of these disputes that the philosophy of mind quickly spread among scholars.
Only a minority can ultimately attend the poetry gathering.
No fewer than 10,000 scholars participated in the imperial examinations, but only a small number left the capital. The majority remained in Bianjing (Kaifeng) to await the final results of the palace examination and watch the names of the candidates announced at the Donghua Gate before departing.
Initially, the arguments were limited to the readers who participated in the poetry gathering.
However, the majority of these people actually endorse and support the philosophy of mind.
Firstly, these people were the elite of this imperial examination, and the common problems of scholars were more pronounced.
Secondly, the book was not only signed by the late Mei Yaochen, but was also a gift from Ouyang Xiu and Hai Wenqing.
This shows that Ouyang Xiu and others also recognized and supported the School of Mind.
Therefore, they naturally wanted to support the School of Mind, both to make themselves stand out from others and to please Ouyang Xiu and his followers.
But those who opposed it, seeing that their side was at a disadvantage, began to look for allies.
Those readers who did not attend the poetry gathering naturally became their first choice.
These people are also very curious about the philosophy of mind, and when arguing with others, shouldn't they at least look into the philosophy of mind first?
Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. If you haven't even read the book, you'll be rendered speechless after just a few words in an argument.
So they went to borrow books from those who had them, but there were only about six hundred people in total. There were too many scholars in Bianjing, and many people couldn't see any books in a short time.
Just as they were copying it down, a bookstore in Bianjing began selling the philosophy of mind.
For a time, people flocked to buy the books, and even officials in the imperial court heard the news and ordered people to buy the books.
Traditional Confucianism is deeply rooted, and as the philosophy of mind spreads, more and more people oppose it.
Those who supported the philosophy of mind quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.
This did not deter the scholars who supported the philosophy of mind; on the contrary, it further fueled their fighting spirit.
Because there were so many opponents, they felt like they were the only ones who were awake in a world of drunks.
Just as scholars were engrossed in the debate over the philosophy of mind, the results of the imperial examination were announced.
Sheng Changbai ranked 13th in the second class, and Feng Ping ranked 26th in the fourth class.
Because of the influence of the School of Mind, even the announcement of the results of the imperial examination received far less attention.
Many officials in the court submitted memorials stating that the School of Mind was a heretical doctrine and should be listed as a banned book, prohibited from circulation and dissemination.
However, the emperor praised the great master of the School of Mind, saying that he had also read it and that there was nothing wrong with the book itself.
Just kidding, if he really wanted to attract attention, no officials would pressure him to make a successor.
Although the emperor has decided to establish an heir, everything is still subject to change until he makes a final decision.
In this situation, in order to consolidate his victory, the Prince of Yong was able to accept those officials who had originally supported the Prince of Chong but had now sided with him.
Only when Prince Yong ascends the throne will there be no major turmoil in the court.
Once he issues an edict appointing the Prince of Yong as Crown Prince, not only the Prince of Yong, but even those who support him will not agree to accept those who support the Prince of Yan.
People risked getting involved in the succession struggle not because the two were particularly wise, but because they wanted to gain benefits after the two ascended the throne.
Just as his pancake was about to be cooked, a bunch of people came wanting to share it.
Even if they might get very little, no one would be willing to accept it.
Not only would they disagree, but after the Prince of Yong ascended the throne, they would also strongly urge him to eliminate those who supported the Prince of Yong.
Even if they didn't do it, the Prince of Yong would still do it.
After all, he has so many supporters, and the higher the official position, the fewer people there are. If he doesn't remove some people to make room for them, how can he promote and reward those supporters?
The saying "A new emperor, a new court" implies that the emperor's personality changes with each new ruler.
Some emperors would promote their confidants when they changed emperors, and naturally, someone had to give up their position to promote a confidant.
However, since the government does not designate an heir, those people only support and accept others in order to ensure the pie is ripe for the harvest.
Once everyone is on our side, there's no need for purges anymore.
Therefore, the government was naturally unwilling to prohibit the study of mind.
After the news spread, those who supported the philosophy of mind were overjoyed, and it attracted even more people to join in supporting it.
Although the government did not support it, the fact that it did not prohibit the School of Mind meant that it could continue to exist.
Will questions related to the philosophy of mind appear in future imperial examinations?
However, those who support the philosophy of mind also know that its foundation is shallow, and if it wants to gain more supporters, it needs to be interpreted and improved.
Only in this way can more people be encouraged to join in.
At this point, the philosophy of mind is like an outline; although it has a beginning, process, and ending, it is not attractive enough.
What they need to do is fill in the extensions based on the outline to increase its appeal.
Moreover, this is precisely the purpose for which some people support the philosophy of mind.
They will also benefit from perfecting the philosophy of mind and waiting for it to grow into a towering tree.
Just like the Hundred Schools of Thought in the past, in addition to the founders being revered as sages, many other near-sages also emerged.
Wang You has been paying close attention to the spread of the philosophy of mind and is very satisfied with the current situation.
As long as it gains recognition and continues to be improved, the philosophy of mind can gradually grow stronger.
When these people appear in the imperial court in the future, the struggle between the two sides will evolve from academic disputes into a struggle in the imperial court.
Those who oppose the conservatism of the School of Mind will support reform.
Moreover, they would be extremely serious when supporting reform, and would not use reform as a pretext to seek personal gain.
The failure of the reform also signifies the failure of the philosophy of mind.
This is similar to how the various schools of thought in ancient times would go to great lengths to gain the approval of those in power and serve them.
Because their doctrines require the support of those in power to be promoted.
If those in power cannot use their doctrines to enrich the country and strengthen the military, how can they prove that their doctrines are better than other doctrines?
On this day, Wang You, along with his mother and sister, traveled by car to Jinmingchi.
They weren't going to Jinming Pond for fun, but rather to a polo field not far from it.
After the palace examination, Madam Wu sent out invitations to the powerful and wealthy families of Bianjing, as well as the top three scholars who had passed the imperial examination.
Although Wang You did not participate in the imperial examination, his grandfather was at least qualified to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, so the Wang family was naturally invited as well.
The polo field is located not far from Kimmyeong Pond.
The polo match was very lively, and even Princess Jiacheng, daughter of Prince Yong, and Rong Feiyan, sister of Consort Rong, came.
The two came because they were both of marriageable age.
When Wang You learned that the two of them had also arrived, his heart skipped a beat.
Unexpectedly, the two still bumped into each other.
However, because Manniang caused trouble at the Yu family's house, the Yu family suffered a lot of gossip.
Just like in the original drama, Grand Tutor Yu has arranged a marriage for Yu Yanran, so he probably won't be coming.
Minglan naturally wouldn't go out and play polo just to stand up for Yu Yanran.
Qi Heng naturally wouldn't participate, and he certainly wouldn't be noticed by Princess Jiacheng and Rong Feiyan because of it.
The Sheng family was also invited to this polo match.
Mu Jie'er told Madam Feng, then took Wang You to the Sheng family's tent to play with Minglan and Rulan.
"Alright, all of you, stop staying here and go have some fun," Madam Wang said with a smile.
Although Wang You failed to marry Ru Lan, she felt somewhat uncomfortable afterward.
However, Wang You still helped Sheng Hong a lot in her matter, making her look good.
Originally, after Sheng Hong returned, he was angry with Chang Feng and was also very annoyed with Lin Xiaoniang, thinking that she had not managed things well.
When Sheng Hong learned that Lin Xiaoniang had sold off the farms and shops he had given her after he was kept in the palace, he was heartbroken.
As a result, Lin Xiaoniang brought up the fact that Wang Da Niangzi and Kang Wangshi were lending money at exorbitant interest rates.
Sheng Hong was now very disappointed in Madam Wang.
Fortunately, when Madam Wang tearfully recounted her ordeal, she mentioned that she had to go back to her parents' home for help. Wang You then approached Hai Wenqing for assistance, which allowed Sheng Hong to escape.
This greatly reduced Sheng Hong's anger towards Madam Wang.
Therefore, Madam Wang was still very grateful to her nephew Wang You, and her anger subsided.
Upon hearing what Madam Wang said, Rulan happily pulled Minglan and Wang You away.
After they left, Mo Lan also got up, bowed, and left.
Madam Wang glanced at Mo Lan and gave a cold smile.
Sheng Hong, loving both Mo Lan and Sheng Changfeng, extended his affection to them as well.
Originally, when Mo Lan got married, her family was supposed to provide some dowry.
Because he was angry with Lin Xiaoniang, Ke Sheng had already said that the farms and shops that Lin Xiaoniang used for her livelihood would be divided in two, with Mo Lan and Sheng Changfeng each receiving half.
When Mo Lan gets married, her family will not provide her with an extra dowry, and Sheng Changfeng will not be given any further family property after he leaves.
This made Madam Wang extremely happy.
Without these two separate inheritances, Minglan's dowry was managed by the old lady, and the family business belonged to her children.
Moreover, Mo Lan's dowry was so small that even families with slightly better social standing couldn't afford her.
"Sister Rulan, shall we go play Chuiwan?" said Sister Mu.
"Okay, okay."
Rulan's favorite game was Chuiwan, so she and Mu Jie'er immediately ran over there.
Wang You gave Mu Jie'er a sensible look, and followed behind her with Minglan at a leisurely pace.
"Sixth Sister, have the marriages of Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister been arranged?" Wang You asked.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"Why is my cousin asking this?" Minglan asked, puzzled.
"Only after they get married can I marry you," Wang You said with a smile, leaning closer.
Upon hearing this, Minglan's face flushed red. She looked around in a fluster and scolded, "Cousin, don't you know the occasion before you talk nonsense? What if someone hears this? How will I face anyone then?"
"Don't worry, I've checked, there's no one around," Wang You said with a smile.
On the other side, Mo Lan, who had left the tent, watched the two chatting and laughing from afar, her expression complicated.
Now that Lin Xiaoniang has fallen out of favor, even she has been neglected, and has virtually no chance of marrying into the Qi family.
She turned her gaze away, lost in thought, and wandered aimlessly along the polo field.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and because I was distracted, my hand holding the handkerchief was not holding it tightly, and it was blown away by the wind.