Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 310 Zhao Xu’s counterattack!
Cheng Yi has been feeling very unhappy recently.

This dissatisfaction comes from two aspects.

One reason was that he was very unhappy about the royal family's disrespect for the imperial teacher because the court changed the etiquette system of storytelling in Chongzheng Hall.

Before Emperor Shenzong of Song, storytellers in the Chongzheng Hall would sit while giving lectures to the emperor in order to highlight the ancestral tradition of the Northern Song Dynasty of respecting teachers.

But when Song Shenzong became emperor, he hired Wang Anshi as a storyteller in Chongzheng Hall.

Wang Anshi kept instilling new ideas about reforming the country into Song Shenzong, which offended the very conservative Empress Dowager Gao.

In order to retaliate against Wang Anshi, Empress Dowager Gao deliberately had the chair removed when Wang Anshi was giving a lecture and forced him to stand while giving the lecture.

Over time, it became a routine.

After Cheng Yi took up the position of storyteller in Chongzheng Hall, he boldly suggested to Song Zhezong that teachers should sit down while lectures, so as to reflect the ancestral tradition of the Song Dynasty of respecting teachers.

Empress Dowager Gao asked ministers for solutions at the court meeting.

However, a minister said that he had always stood when giving lectures to Emperor Shenzong of Song, so Cheng Yi's request was rejected.

This incident made Cheng Yi feel very disgusted. In his opinion, teachers are the most respectable people, and the royal family's behavior is a disgrace to society.

Therefore, he was also extremely strict with Zhao Xu. This strictness was of course because he had high expectations for Zhao Xu, but it might not have been unrelated to this incident.

Another thing is Su Yun’s lecture.

He complained to Sima Guang, but Sima Guang never contacted him again, which meant that Sima Guang did not take his opinion seriously, which made him even more unhappy.

Cheng Yi was a favorite disciple of Zhou Dunyi, a famous writer and thinker in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was well-read and talented at a young age and was an outstanding representative of the Luoyang School of scholars.

However, his ideas were incompatible with the political propositions of Wang Anshi, the leader of the reform faction in power. Therefore, he never achieved fame and was not valued by the court throughout his life.

Now that Song Shenzong had passed away, Wang Anshi was unemployed at home. The court invited him to be the storyteller in Chongzheng Hall and serve as the tutor of Song Zhezong.

In Cheng Yi's view, this was a golden opportunity for him to apply what he had learned throughout his life to save the country from disaster, so he rushed from Luoyang to Kaifeng to take office with great confidence.

However, he now clearly felt that Zhao Xu was not interested in his ideas and even intended to go against him, which made him very angry.

The fact that Su Yun recently started giving lectures at the Imperial Academy made him feel a great sense of crisis.

From the very beginning, Su Yun's doctrine made Cheng Yi very vigilant, because he was also the leading scholar of classics in his time, and he was naturally aware of the impact of Su Yun's doctrine on his Neo-Confucianism. The depth, breadth, and practicality of Su Yun's doctrine were much stronger than his own Neo-Confucianism!

Cheng Yi once privately told his brother Cheng Hao that Su Shi's school of thought was the biggest rival of their Neo-Confucianism.

Now the trend started by Su Yun in the Imperial College made Cheng Yi feel a great crisis. He seemed to see signs of the rise of Wang Anshi in the past.

At that time, because he was incompatible with Wang Anshi's ideas, he could only stay in Luoyang to teach. In Cheng Yi's view, Wang's school of thought did not pose much threat to Neo-Confucianism. As long as Wang Anshi withdrew, Wang's school of thought would eventually die out.

But Su Xue's teachings were different. He saw the vigorous vitality hidden in Su Xue's teachings. Once Su Xue's teachings were truly promoted, the impact on Neo-Confucianism would be unprecedented, and it might even be destroyed!

But now Sima Guang was only concerned with abolishing the new law and didn't care about anything else, which made Cheng Yi deeply uneasy.

This day was the day when Cheng Yi taught Zhao Xu. Cheng Yi was not happy to stand and teach, but he was very serious and taught Neo-Confucianism seriously. He still hoped to influence Zhao Xu. If he could deeply influence Zhao Xu, the emperor, then Neo-Confucianism might become an official discipline in the future. Cheng Yi taught seriously for a whole morning. When he was thirsty, he suddenly saw that Zhao Xu looked a little strange. He stared at the book with excitement.

Cheng Yi immediately became suspicious. Zhao Xu had a somewhat antagonistic attitude towards him. Although he pretended to be serious before, he had been teaching for many years and it was clear whether he was serious or pretending. He just kept it to himself.

Seeing Zhao Xu so serious, he immediately became suspicious: Does he really like science?
Thinking of this, he was delighted. Could it be that he had finally impressed this child? If so, then the chance for Neo-Confucianism to defeat Soviet learning had come!

Cheng Yi moved lightly and walked behind Zhao Xu. Zhao Xu was so engrossed in watching that he did not notice Cheng Yi's actions. So Cheng Yi saw a scene that made him furious: Zhao Xu overlapped a copy of Mencius's Annotations with a book of Neo-Confucianism - he was clearly reading Su Yun's Mencius's Annotations!
Zhao Xu was watching intently when he suddenly heard heavy breathing. He looked up inadvertently and was immediately scared out of his wits. Cheng Yi was like an angry bull, ready to bite anyone!

Zhao Xu stood up in panic and said in a panic: "Sir..."

Cheng Yi stretched out his hand and said, "Give me the book."

Zhao Xu quickly handed the Mencius Annotations to Cheng Yi, and then watched with bloodshot eyes as Cheng Yi fiercely tore the Mencius Annotations in half, saying fiercely: "Your Majesty, if you see such perverse theories again in the future, I will inform the Queen Mother and ask her to punish you!"

Although Zhao Xu was young, he was very smart. He knew not to go against his teacher, the empress dowager and others. Therefore, although he was quite dissatisfied with Cheng Yi, he never confronted him head-on. Even if he was scolded, he would grit his teeth in private. When he was in front of Cheng Yi, he was still a well-behaved child.

But seeing that Cheng Yi did not respect him and even insulted Su Yun, whom he had placed many hopes on, he tore up the young scholar Su's works and even denounced them as heresy!
What is this collection of annotations on Mencius?
That was my father's most outstanding work of culture and governance. By slandering it like this, aren't you saying in front of a son like me that my father supported heresy?

A surge of anger burst out from Zhao Xu's heart. He couldn't bear it at this moment, and he couldn't bear it!
The new law that my father had worked so hard for over ten years to implement had been completely abolished by that old thief Sima Guang. Now, that old thief Cheng Yi even wants to destroy my father's achievements in civil administration!

If this official succeeds, then will even the last trustworthy minister left to him by his father, Mr. Su, be exiled?

Can't stand it!
Zhao Xu said angrily, "Sir! The theory of Scholar Su is not heretical! It is a famous school recognized by the late emperor. It can be selected for study in the Imperial College and the Imperial University. Moreover, I can also study it in Zishan Hall!"

It would have been better if Zhao Xu did not refute. His rebuttal made Cheng Yi feel even more threatened. He was at a loss and sweating profusely.

He suddenly realized that Zhao Xu admired the reformists' political ideas from the bottom of his heart, and sooner or later he would settle accounts with those who abolished Song Shenzong's new laws.

Cheng Yi said with a sullen face: "Su Yun's theory is a theory that will bring disaster to the country and the people. Just like Wang Anshi's theory, you must not touch it. Once you touch it, your thoughts will go astray!"

Zhao Xu also frowned and said, "Wang Xue is still part of the imperial examination. How come the thought has gone astray after reading it? Mr. Cheng, I respect you as a master of classics, but you are attacking dissidents and other theories like this, which is not what a moral gentleman should do!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Cheng Yi felt like he was about to explode. This was already questioning his character in person. If word of this matter got out... No, it would definitely get out. They were not the only two people here, there were also eunuchs and guards around!

Cheng Yi's face turned red and then pale, and then he said angrily: "Your Majesty, please come with me to see the Queen Mother. I can no longer be your teacher. I want to resign in person, but this matter today must be made clear!"

Zhao Xu was shocked when Cheng Yi said this. He was extremely afraid of the stern old lady, Empress Dowager Gao. If this matter was brought to her attention, he would probably be severely reprimanded!

But he immediately thought that if he endured it this time, his father's achievements would be completely wiped out by these people, and Scholar Su would also be driven away by them. He would have no one to rely on and could only be manipulated by these treacherous villains!
Thinking of this, a sense of proud courage suddenly arose in my heart: Even if I am reprimanded by the Queen Mother today, I have to make this truth clear!
There was no need for Cheng Yi to go and tell the empress dowager in person, as she had already hurried over. The fact that the emperor and his imperial teacher had such a big dispute was, at best, a matter of respecting teachers, but at best, a huge political accident!

When Empress Dowager Gao arrived, Cheng Yi said goodbye to her in a blunt tone: "Empress Dowager! Your Majesty, I have no way to teach you. Your Majesty has already questioned my character. I also feel that my character is not good enough to be the emperor's teacher. Please, Your Majesty, relieve me of my duties!"

Empress Dowager Gao frowned upon hearing this. Although she was extremely strict with her grandson and loved power very much, she also knew that her grandson Zhao Xu was the future of the Song Dynasty. If Zhao Xu's reputation was unstable, the Song Dynasty would be unstable!
If Cheng Yi left in this way and the news spread, then the reputation of both her and her grandson Zhao Xu would be damaged in the future.

Empress Dowager Gao felt a little dissatisfied for a moment, and thought to herself, you, Cheng Yi, your grandson is only a ten-year-old child. Even if you are dissatisfied with him, you should just discipline him strictly. But now you have caused such a thing and you even force me. Is this the way of a minister?

But such words could not be said. Empress Dowager Gao calmed down a little and said in a gentle voice: "Mr. Cheng, please don't worry. Xu'er is young after all. Although he is very smart, he sometimes has a childish temper. You are a gentleman, so don't be too picky with him. I will let Xu'er apologize to you. Is that okay with you?"

After being persuaded by Empress Dowager Gao, Cheng Yi's heart softened, but he immediately remembered Zhao Xu's obsession with Su Shi's school of thought, and he made up his mind immediately: even if he gave up being the emperor's teacher, he would destroy Su Shi's school of thought!

(End of this chapter)