Chapter 124: The flying insects crawl, recruiting people based on their abilities

Wang Shizhen maintained the posture of dropping the jar, and did not respond to the emperor's question for a long time.

His mind was full of thoughts, and he still couldn't figure out how to answer.

If the emperor asked me if I could write an article when I first met him.

Then Wang Shizhen would surely be able to do it in no time.

But when the emperor asked him if he could write after he had said what he had said before, the meaning was very different.

Especially that sentence, can't a saint be wrong?

The meaning was so complicated that even Wang Shizhen didn't dare to think deeply about it.

Luo Sigong stood aside, holding a bottle in his hand and a piece of cloth dotted with egg yolk, nothing surprising.

But from Wang Shizhen's point of view, there was an unspeakable horror in it.

A hint of panic flashed subconsciously in his eyes.

Wang Shizhen didn't know whether fireflies were born from decaying grass or from the mating of adult insects, and he didn't care.

Chanting about grass and flowers, singing about objects and eulogizing events are all just metaphors of people using objects as metaphors.

Who has nothing better to do than to tinker with a bunch of these things for intercourse, and lie down and watch them every day?
Is there any trace of scholar-official demeanor left?

Even if there are errors and omissions in "Book of Rites", it is not a big problem.

He was a man of great learning, so how could he believe in some "law that will never change"?

It is common practice among scholars to make changes to classics and package their own ideas as those of saints.

If not, why would there be so many schools of Confucian classics?

Classics? Just dead things that can be painted by anyone.

Is there something wrong with the Book of Rites? Confucianism is flexible, so at most we can just reinterpret it.

But, the crux of the matter lies.

What exactly does the emperor want to do?

They deliberately seized on this flaw in the Book of Rites and kept blaming the sage.

He didn't think that the emperor was ignorant of the seriousness of the matter and was just speaking on his own impulse.

So... did the emperor want to seize the right to interpret the scriptures, or did he want to shake the foundation of Confucianism?
The former is fine.

In the end, it's a fight without breaking.

You can even mistranslate the words of a saint, how dare you establish your own school?
Let’s forget about it this time. From now on, you have to listen to my advice, and let’s work together to develop Confucianism well, okay?

If it's the latter...

Wang Shizhen is afraid of this!
The transformation of rotten grass into new life is written in black and white in the Book of Rites; the mating of adult insects is the emperor’s golden words.

If the saints of the present age are unwilling to acknowledge the legitimacy of the saints of all ages, it is tantamount to the collision of the clear and the turbid, which will lead to chaos again!

I don’t know how many innocent people will be crushed.

From the Book of Rites, Confucianism, and saints to students, scholars, and the literary world, all will be swept up in it!

How many people in the world rely on this for their livelihood?

Even as the leader of the literary world, could he still survive independently from Confucianism?
His relatives, good friends, descendants, and fellow villagers will all suffer unexpected disasters!

It's even the same as annihilating an entire family!
The matter was of great importance, and Wang Shizhen remained silent for a long time.

Naturally, the leader will not just stand there and wait for his subordinates.

Seeing that Wang Shizhen was hesitant, Zhu Yijun did not urge him.

He turned around and took unsteady steps and continued walking.

The group followed behind again.

Zhu Yijun naturally knew how much pressure his words "Can a saint be wrong?" put on Wang Shizhen.

However, Zhu Yijun was not really so arrogant as to dig up Confucius' grave at this time.

He doesn't have the skills yet, so he can't do this kind of job.

In a sense, the current legal system of the entire court is based on the classics of the saints.

Whether it was him, the "Son of Heaven" who followed Confucian etiquette, or the Juren and Jinshi who were selected based on the Four Books and Five Classics, or even the tens of millions of scholars who were hungry for food.

Everyone is eating from the same pot, who dares to lift the pot?
Apart from eunuchs and relatives of the emperor, who would be willing to hear the court say something disrespectful to Confucius?

Zhu Yijun's current ability was limited, and if it were to spread the rumor that he intended to shake the foundation of Confucianism.

The first one to be destroyed is his flesh.

Therefore, his criticism of the saint just now was just a deliberate attempt to put pressure on Wang Shizhen.

The purpose is to psychologically force this literary leader to play a two-step-forward, one-step-back drama.

If the question was to seize the right to interpret the scriptures, Wang Shizhen would certainly make excuses.

But if you ask the saint whether he is wrong?
Then Wang Shizhen would cry and say - the saint's original intention was good, they misunderstood it! I will correct it right now, Your Majesty, please stop talking!
Therefore, Zhu Yijun was not in any hurry to urge Wang Shizhen, and let him feel the conflict in his heart.

The emperor walked in front and leisurely told Wang Shizhen the whole story: "Last year, when I was studying the classics, I read the Book of Rites and became interested in this matter. I wanted to witness this magical thing with my own eyes."

"Then I began to work, ordering my eunuchs to dig a pond and pile up rotten grass, and I also invited you gentlemen to witness it."

"It's a pity that the rotten grass didn't turn into fireflies in the end."

"I was unwilling to give up, and was about to try again before the summer of this year, but my cousin Li Chengming volunteered, saying that my method was wrong and that he could do it."

"He is a very trustworthy person, so I will leave the matter to him."

"Then, he used the so-called 'controlled experimental method' that he learned from the academy and tried it several times."

"In a clean pond, there are three water tanks. One only piles up rotten grass, one only puts in adult insects, and one has both."

Having said this, Zhu Yijun stopped talking abruptly.

Wang Shizhen was somewhat curious, but at the same time he was trying to buy time to think and was happy to talk about all sorts of things.

"Controlled experimental method?" He repeated it doubtfully, and then asked, "May I ask the result, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Yijun looked gentle, waved his hand and changed the first topic: "This is the achievement of logic, it has not yet been compiled into a book, we will talk about it later."

"As for the result..."

He nodded slightly.

Zhang Hong, who was behind him, took out a scroll of manuscript from his arms and handed it to Wang Shizhen.

Wang Shizhen bowed and took it in his hands.

Looking closely, I saw a few big words on the cover. The grammar was strange but simple and easy to understand - "Based on the method of controlled experiments, exploring the reproduction method of a certain type of firefly living in water."

There is also a subheading below: "In order to solve the doubts of Emperor Chang Wei about the 'rotten grass becomes fireflies' in the Book of Rites, special funds are allocated from the imperial treasury."

Wang Shizhen held the manuscript in his hand with a strange look on his face.

What the hell?

Not to mention that this series of titles has no literary beauty, how can the following line be called the emperor's private name?

Chang Wei was the title of the young emperor. Due to its personal nature, it was never used in normal times. Historically, it was called Yu Zhai, but Zhu Yijun thought it sounded bad and did not use it.

There was no other emperor at the moment, so Wang Shizhen found it strange that the emperor was specifically mentioned.

Zhu Yijun seemed to see his confusion and said with a smile: "I don't understand either, but my cousin said that doing experiments is different from doing academic research. It doesn't require literary elegance, but only requires accuracy. Every person or object that appears should be clear and unambiguous."

"Now that I have no posthumous title or temple, I shall be known by my title."

The emperor said it easily.

After hearing this, Wang Shizhen felt even more heavy-hearted.

This behavior shows no respect for one's status and seems frivolous, but it also reveals the emperor's attitude, making him seem very serious.

Wang Shizhen sighed again in his heart, afraid that this would not end well.

With a heavy heart, he opened the "experimental manuscript" written by the great-grandson of Wuqing Bo and read it carefully.

It only contains some so-called experimental processes, which are slightly detailed.

For example, the process of capturing adult fireflies: "Fireflies live in water and start to come ashore in mid-March. Six were captured in an irrigation canal in a township in Tongzhou."

Another example is during an experiment, "same clean pool, same temperature, same water tank regulations..."

Wang Shizhen didn't care about these things. He was just pretending to read seriously.

But in my heart I was thinking about what choice I should make.

There was silence for a while, with only the sound of Wang Shizhen flipping through the manuscript.

A long while passed.

Wang Shizhen finally made a move.

He closed the manuscript and returned it to Zhang Hong.

Needless to say, the content is nothing more than adult insects giving birth, which has nothing to do with rotten grass.

In fact, because the narration is so detailed, even ordinary farmers can repeat it - farm boys are the most active, and there is no difficulty in making a wooden box and putting two layers of cloth on it.

This matter cannot be resolved by simply confusing right and wrong like in previous debates.

Wang Shizhen finally made up his mind. He turned to the emperor and saluted, as if he had already considered his words, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, this is a mistake, I accept your advice."

"I will go back and write an article to revise the annotations of the Book of Rites for all dynasties!"

He spoke slowly, but his tone was firm and decisive.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Shizhen with interest and asked, "Change the annotation?"

Just as he expected, faced with irrefutable evidence, Alliance Leader Wang chose to reinterpret the scriptures instead of blaming the saint.

Faced with the temptation of pursuing a career in politics and burying his biological father, Wang Shizhen still could not let go of his consciousness of maintaining the foundation of Confucianism.

It is indeed extremely difficult for outsiders to interfere in the literary world!

Wang Shizhen didn't know what the emperor was thinking, and seeing that he looked unhappy, he couldn't help but feel frightened.

But he did not give in at all. Instead, he nodded heavily and said, "Your Majesty will understand."

"It started with Zheng Xuan's Commentary on the Book of Rites in the Western Han Dynasty, and Kong Yingda's Commentary on the Book of Rites in the Western Tang Dynasty, and even the Theory of the Study of Things in Neo-Confucianism, etc."

"They are all misinterpretations of the sage's original intention, and they mistakenly note that 'rotten grass turns into fireflies' means that they are born from rotten grass."

"Now is the time to put order out of chaos!"

The emperor was so well prepared that his evidence was irrefutable.

Rather than dwelling on this, it is better to make a quick assessment first - it is a mistake made by later generations.

To be frank, it is fine to write articles for the emperor to seize the right to interpret scriptures, but if one wants to shake the foundation of Confucianism, he, Wang, really cannot accompany him.

After saying this, Wang Shizhen bowed again.

It is an apology and also a plea for mercy.

Unfortunately, the emperor seemed indifferent.

In the face of such a plea, he still held on to it, and asked doubtfully, "Is it really not the saint who made a mistake?"

Wang Shizhen's heart was gripped again.

This is the second time the emperor asked this question today.

It can be described as aggressive.

Wang Shizhen became more and more embarrassed and lowered his head even lower.

His tone was sincere, his words were earnest, and he almost cried as he said, "Your Majesty, be careful with your words!"

“The word ‘wei’ not only means to become, but also means to protect.”

"The saying rotten grass becomes fireflies means that the rotten grass protects the fireflies. In other words..."

"It means that in the late summer month, fireflies are circling and dancing around rotten grass. This is clearly describing the habits of fireflies!"

"They are ignorant and unlearned, and they misinterpret the classics, spreading poison for thousands of years."

"Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand the saints and despise Confucianism because of this!"

Zhu Yijun lacked education, and after hearing these words, he could not help but turn his face away and smiled to Wang Shizhen.

Impressed.

He is worthy of being the leader of the literary world and has profound knowledge.

This is why he did not let Li Zhi do this, but insisted on waiting for Wang Shizhen to come to Beijing.

In addition to the reputation in the literary world, there is also a difference in professional quality.

Without Wang Shizhen's knowledge, no one else can do something like debating scriptures.

Fortunately, after the dispute reached this point, Wang Shizhen, the leader of the literary world, finally annotated "The Book of Rites" in front of the emperor.

Some even denounced the outflow as "unlearned and incompetent, spreading harm for thousands of years."

After this incident, even if Wang Shizhen changed his mind again, he could not escape the fate of being disgraced among the literati.

On the contrary, only by going down a path to the end can you suddenly see the light.

In this way, regardless of the outcome of the battle for the right to interpret the scriptures, at least the team has become the best in the country's literary world.

However, Zhu Yijun was hard-hearted and still did not intend to quit while he was ahead.

Although Wang Shizhen looked like he was about to commit suicide, he had clearly not reached his limit yet.

Zhu Yijun frowned and said in a deep voice: "Do you think I am a three-year-old kid?"

"Calling a deer a horse, confusing right and wrong, haven't you heard of the crime of deceiving the emperor?"

"Confucius is a saint, but am I not a saint? Your Majesty, do you not have me in your heart at all!?"

Wang Shizhen kowtowed repeatedly and admitted his guilt.

His heart was filled with bitterness.

Even though the emperor spoke so harshly, he could not talk back.

Similarly, no matter how many mistakes and omissions there are in the Book of Rites, he cannot criticize the classics of the sages.

This has nothing to do with his likes or dislikes of the emperor, nor does it have anything to do with whether he believes in Confucian classics - everyone is confined by the times and finds it difficult to break free.

Zhu Yijun was still displeased.

After Wang Shizhen kowtowed for a long time and remained silent, Zhu Yijun's expression finally eased a little.

He scolded angrily: "Only because of your father's matter can I do something for my grandfather, otherwise I will not forgive you!"

Even though my grandfather would lose his life if he made a mistake.

But after all, it was a feudal society, and it was reasonable and within the general moral standard for the king to want his subjects to die.

And he should make up for the debt he has owed, which is what a benevolent emperor should do.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and asked Zhang Hong to help the man up.

He thought about it, and finally said: "My words are golden, and I will not take back my reward just because you disobey me."

"I will send a letter to the cabinet regarding the matter between Lantai and your father."

Wang Shizhen thanked him profusely: "Your Majesty, I have been so kind to you! I will never be able to repay you even if I die!"

Zhu Yijun shook his head: "I don't want you to die."

"In addition to the interpretation of the Book of Rites, there is one more matter that I would like to entrust to Lord Wang."

Wang Shizhen smiled bitterly and said, "I listen respectfully."

The emperor's tone clearly showed that this was not a simple matter.

If burying his father had not been his lifelong obsession, it would be the so-called "a hundred joys cannot outweigh one pain".

He would have to claim illness and not attend court tomorrow, or even resign and return home.

This little emperor is really fishing in a dry pond.

Zhu Yijun slowed down his tone and said, "It's not a complicated matter."

"The Ministry of Public Security started a new newspaper last year, which occasionally serializes novels."

"Previously, they were Li Zhi and Tao Dalin from the Imperial College, and Li Zaiting from the Ministry of Personnel. The three of them took turns to be replaced."

"Li is currently touring the area in Tingqin, and Tao Dalin has another mission and will be busy soon. I have no choice but to trouble you, Lord Wang, to do more."

This guy wrote a lot of stories about Jin Ping Mei, which are so appealing to both the elite and the masses. How could he not make full use of them?
Wang Shizhen was unexpected.

Writing a novel? Just something like this?
I thought it was another difficult situation like before.

It’s not a big deal to have too much debt. This is much easier than before.

but……

Wang Shizhen seemed to remember something and a hint of hesitation flashed across his face.

"I obey your order." He bowed and asked hesitantly, "What kind of novel is this, Your Majesty?"

Because of their origin and audience, most of the novels circulating in the market are erotic readings.

Even though he is a leader in the literary world, he still has to cater to the market.

Otherwise, if it was just to humiliate Dong Louqing, he would not have needed to write so many scenes.

Now that the emperor has summoned him to write, maybe he has seen his masterpieces and is itching to write, so he is deliberately hinting...

Fortunately, the emperor didn’t know what Alliance Leader Wang was thinking, otherwise today would have ended badly.

Zhu Yijun smiled appropriately and explained, "Speaking of which, it is also related to Wang Qing's job as Lantai."

"I am fascinated by the founding of our dynasty."

"I admire Emperor Taizu for his hard work in conquering the world."

Zhu Yijun said this, restraining his smile and said seriously: "Wang Qing, can you write a heroic biography for the founding of our dynasty?"

This matter was proposed by Li Zhi, and he kept it under wraps for half a year to lay the groundwork and prepare for it.

The slogan of expelling the Tartars and restoring China was first proposed by our dynasty - this has been verified twice, and it has been invincible in terms of ideology.

Add to that a bowl at the beginning, and a legendary story begins.

Isn’t it an excellent medicine to build consensus and form an imagined community?

(End of this chapter)