My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 101 The Three Tables Method

"He's just a stinky monk. Why did you have to make this trip? He should be the one to visit you, both morally and logically."

On the mountain road leading to the Buddhist temple, Zhu Shuang complained again.

Ma Yu laughed and said, "I didn't come for Dao Yan. Master Xi is a highly accomplished Daoist and a senior, so I couldn't refuse to come."

Zhu Shuang pursed his lips and said nothing more.

After spending a lot of time with Ma Yu, he also learned the basic principles of respecting the elderly and caring for the young.

He wouldn't dare to make such arrogant remarks about a Taoist master like Xi Yingzhen.

Zhu Biao, standing to the side, sighed inwardly; everything had truly changed.

In the past, Ma Yu would definitely have gone to the palace first to communicate with her parents.

This was the case when meeting Song Lian, Liu Bowen, and others.

But when he met Daoyan this time, he didn't mention going to the palace at all.

Everyone understands what this means.

He used to care about Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude and would consider the interests of the imperial family when doing things.

Now, he has let go of all his worries and is simply doing what he believes is right.

Recalling his father's gloomy face when he left home today, Zhu Biao felt only helplessness.

I just hope my cousin's ideas aren't too radical, otherwise it will cause a lot of trouble.

Just as he was lost in thought, the carriage arrived at the temple.

The Imperial Guards verified their identities before allowing them to enter.

Zhu Biao led the way, while Zhu Shuang pushed the wheelchair, and the three of them arrived at the Mahavira Hall.

Here I met Xi Yingzhen and Daoyan, master and disciple.

Their attack was a surprise, and Dao Yan and his disciples were unaware of it beforehand.

So they were very surprised when they suddenly saw three teenagers come in.

Xi Yingzhen also glanced at her disciple with an inquiring look:
Didn't you say it was the emperor who kidnapped us? What's going on here?
Dao Yan was also puzzled. What was going on?

Could I have guessed wrong? Was it not the emperor who kidnapped us? Otherwise, why would the emperor send these three teenagers here?
Thinking this in his heart, he didn't slack off at all, and stood up with his hands clasped together, saying:

"Amitabha Buddha, may I ask who these three gentlemen are?"

In fact, Ma Yu and the other two were also observing the layout of the main hall.

Buddhist temples, Taoist ritual altars, statues of Confucius... Zhu Yuanzhang really knew how to have fun.

Upon hearing Dao Yan's question, Zhu Biao pulled himself out of his reverie and smiled slightly:
"I have come to pay my respects to the two esteemed gentlemen on my father's orders."

My father? Could he be a prince?
Xi Yingzhen and Dao Yan both looked at him, and their demeanor was indeed somewhat fitting.

But who are the other two? And why is there one in a wheelchair?
Zhu Biao didn't introduce himself, but instead winked at Ma Yu, signaling that it was his turn.

Ma Yu coughed lightly and replied, "I am Ma Yu, and I greet the two masters."

"To be honest, the reason you two have encountered this situation is all because of me. I have come here today to apologize."

Daoyan originally intended to return the courtesy, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, he suddenly thought of Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

No wonder he speaks so highly of you.

The "he" that Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned was clearly the culprit who caused their kidnapping.

At the time, he thought that "he" was someone he had met once more than ten years ago.

But the boy in front of me is at most fourteen or fifteen years old.

More than a decade ago, the baby was at most an infant in swaddling clothes, which clearly does not match the guess.

Could it be that his elders have seen me before?
He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot to respond to Ma Yu's words.

Xi Yingzhen, who was standing to the side, said naturally, "Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, the Dao follows the natural way, and things arise from causes and conditions."

"It is fate that we are able to gather here."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Master Xi is absolutely right. Everything arises from causes and conditions."

"Since we're destined to meet, I won't beat around the bush."

"The one who invited you two here is none other than the current Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty."

"This is the current Crown Prince, and this is the Second Prince."

Even though they had suspected it beforehand, the confirmation of this incident still gave Xi Yingzhen and his apprentice a jolt.

Then he quickly bowed to Zhu Biao and Zhu Shuang.

Zhu Biao politely returned the greeting, while Zhu Shuang simply cupped his hands in a perfunctory gesture as a return greeting.

Zhu Biao then introduced Ma Yu's identity and stated:

"It was my cousin's idea to invite the two masters. Let him explain the details to you."

The master and apprentice finally understood the general situation, never expecting that everything really did start because of him.

But how did he know about us? And why did he call us here?

Although Ma Yu didn't know what they were thinking, she could guess some of it.

So he stopped rambling and went straight to the point:

"If Confucius had not been born, the world would have been plunged into eternal darkness. What are your thoughts on this statement?"

The master and apprentice looked at each other, neither of them speaking.

What we are best at is the I Ching. What do you think of this statement?

But now that Confucianism is dominant, a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk wouldn't dare to criticize this statement casually.

Ma Yu saw their concerns but didn't make things difficult for them. Instead, she continued:

"Even Confucius, if he were to be resurrected, would be deeply ashamed upon seeing this statement."

The master and apprentice remained silent, unable to understand Ma Yu's purpose, and naturally unwilling to speak easily.

Without further ado, Ma Yu followed up on this statement and began discussing the religious aspects of Confucianism.

It also deduced the extent of the disaster that Confucianism, after being turned into a religion, would bring to Chinese civilization.

One can imagine how shocked the master and apprentice were.

The religious transformation of Confucianism... this is simply unbelievable.

Regardless of whether this deduction is correct or not... the key question is, how did he dare to extrapolate in this direction?

Daoyan always believed that he was unorthodox enough.

But in front of this boy, he felt like a model student who followed the rules perfectly.

This leads to another question.

What's the point of you telling us this?

Do you expect us to stand up and challenge Confucianism?
My master and I certainly pride ourselves on our vast knowledge, but in Buddhism and Taoism, we're just novices.

You should go to the major sects like Longhu Mountain, Quanzhen Sect, and Shaolin Temple about this.

Ma Yu ignored their thoughts and continued talking about the Confucian scholars' concerns about mathematics.

"Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that a group of people are indeed sabotaging the Ming Dynasty's fiscal and tax system..."

"There is reason to suspect that all of this was a move by Confucianists to seize power."

Master Xi Yingzhen and his disciple Daoyan couldn't help but gasp.

They initially thought it was just a matter of academic thought, but they never expected it to involve a power struggle.

The key is……

Dao Yan couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty believed it?"

Such a flawed deduction would not be believed by anyone with a modicum of knowledge.

How could the emperor be trusted?
Ma Yu smiled and said, "If Your Majesty did not believe me, we would not be meeting today."

Zhu Biao, who was standing to the side, nodded slightly, indicating that Ma Yu was right.

Now, the master and apprentice had no choice but to believe it.

Xi Yingzhen whispered, "It's better to believe it's true."

Dao Yan was startled and suddenly understood everything.

For the emperor, whether it's true or not, even the slightest hint of it is unacceptable.

The key point is that Confucianism is indeed not clean, and people have been caught red-handed.

Moreover, the deduction was conducted first, and then confirmed step by step.

Anyone in that situation would probably have doubts.

This is the ultimate, overt strategy.

Dao Yan looked at the smiling young man in front of him, his expression filled with surprise and... admiration.

How does he know so much at such a young age?
But... it's truly amazing. This is the version of myself I dreamt of.

"Amitabha Buddha, Young Master Ma's insight is truly remarkable, I admire it. But I wonder what this matter has to do with you seeking out my master and disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Yu thought to himself:

The fact that he directly connected himself to this matter and asked the question shows that Monk Daoyan is a person who cannot stand being alone.

"His Majesty feels that the current Confucianism is too extreme and wants to divide and reform it."

"But this matter requires the guidance of truly great scholars, so I recommended two masters to His Majesty."

The master and apprentice looked at each other in bewilderment once again.

Split and reform Confucianism? This young man has quite the audacity.

The key question is, what were you thinking when you found a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk to split and reform Confucianism?

You've got the wrong person, haven't you?
After a long silence, Xi Yingzhen suddenly spoke up: "I'm old and really have the will but not the strength."

"However, my disciple has surpassed me in skill; perhaps Young Master Ma could have a chat with him."

After saying that, he closed his eyes and remained silent.

Ma Yu secretly praised him, thinking, "The old master is truly insightful."

They knew that the real invitee this time was Dao Yan, and he was just brought along as a side trip.

So he found an excuse that would save face for everyone, allowing himself to distance himself from the situation.

As for Dao Yan...

He was deeply moved, extremely moved.

His greatest ambition was to assist a wise ruler and accomplish great things.

Ma Yu's invitation is like a windfall for him.

Moreover, the task of splitting and transforming Confucianism was far more ambitious than he had imagined; how could he not be tempted?

But he also had doubts...

"Amitabha Buddha, Confucianism has become very perfect after two thousand years of development."

"The emergence of Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind further elevated it to new heights."

"While I pride myself on my profound knowledge, I would never dare to harbor such an arrogant thought as to compete with these two fields of study."

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Young Master Ma."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Master, you don't need to worry about that. I already have the general direction."

"It's just that my knowledge is limited, and I have no way to turn direction into specific knowledge."

"Therefore, we need a master who is well-versed in the three teachings, to create a rigorous framework based on my direction, using his profound knowledge."

"As long as the framework can be established, and with the support of the imperial court, it will not be difficult to compete with Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind."

"It's not impossible that we could completely overtake both of them even decades from now."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yingzhen couldn't help but open her eyes and re-examine Ma Yu.

Who exactly is this kid? His words are so arrogant.

If Zhu Biao hadn't been sitting right next to us, and if it weren't for the recent deduction about the religiousization of Confucianism...

He would definitely kick Ma Yu out, thinking she was crazy.

But now, he's mostly just curious.

What exactly is Ma Yu relying on to claim that he can overpower the School of Mind and the School of Principle?

Dao Yan shared the same doubts. At this point, he didn't hide his thoughts and spoke frankly:
"May I ask which direction you are referring to?"

"It's not that this humble monk doesn't believe Young Master Ma's words, but the matter is of great importance and we must be cautious."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Of course, this matter still requires the master's help, so there is no reason to hide it."

At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "Buddhism is a foreign discipline that quickly overwhelmed native Chinese learning after it was introduced to China."

“From the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism always held the dominant position until the Song Dynasty when this situation changed.”

"Master, do you know why?"

Dao Yan was shocked again, and Xi Yingzhen, who originally did not want to get involved in this matter, could not help but prick up her ears.

Unexpectedly, Ma Yu chose this as his starting point, aiming to fundamentally analyze the various schools of thought.

At the same time, I was also filled with curiosity about what shocking answer he would give.

"This humble monk is unaware; please enlighten me, sir."

Feeling uncomfortable after sitting for too long, Ma Yu braced herself on the armrests of the wheelchair and tried to stand up.

Zhu Shuang quickly got up and helped him up until he was steady before sitting down again.

Upon seeing this, Xi Yingzhen and Dao Yan immediately realized that this young master Ma held an extraordinary position in the royal family.

They were even more curious about what he was going to say next.

Ma Yu paced back and forth slightly and said, "The ideas of the various schools of thought in ancient China were all based on a summary of the existing ritual and legal systems."

"To put it simply, the system of rites and laws came first, and then the various schools of thought emerged."

"Therefore, they have three main characteristics: first, they are secular; second, they lack grand goals; and third, their logic is not rigorous enough."

He then explained what secularization, grand goals, and logic meant.

Xi Yingzhen and Daoyan were both great scholars, so they naturally understood immediately.

At the same time, I began to recall the Confucian and Taoist classics I had read and found that it was indeed true.

After they understood, Ma Yu continued:

"This characteristic is most evident in Taoism and Confucianism."

Because both Laozi and Confucius were among the earliest to emerge, and both were scholars with a certain social status.

When they impart knowledge, they do so with the mindset of a teacher.

To put it simply, whatever I say goes.

If you insist on asking why, it's simply because it has always been this way.

If you still don't want to listen, then you can leave.

In this situation, they naturally wouldn't bother to argue their ideas, let alone care about logic.

"This situation improved with the later Mohist school."

"The Mohist school emerged late, and it had to compete with other schools of thought for students and the right to speak."

"This requires them to strengthen their logic."

"Only more rigorous logic can persuade others."

"Therefore, the Mohist school became the only one among the Hundred Schools of Thought that went on to prove its own ideas."

"They also pioneered the Three-Table Method."

The Three Tables Method consists of the fundamentals, the source, and the application.

Simply put, "original" refers to the premise, "source" is what we're talking about, and "use" is how to use this thing.

For example, on the same plane, two straight lines that never intersect are called parallel lines.

They are inherently on the same plane, and their origin is that "two straight lines that never intersect are called parallel lines".

The application of parallel lines is in real life.

The Mohists used the three-table method to demonstrate their ideas, which was a devastating blow to other schools of thought at the time.

"Therefore, although the Mohist school appeared relatively late, its influence was enormous."

"So much so that people at the time believed that the most prominent schools of thought in the world were either Confucianism or Mohism."

Everyone suddenly realized that this was the reason for the Mohist school's strength.

Everyone is particularly curious about the three-table method and will definitely study it carefully later.

Ma Yu paused for a moment, giving everyone time to react, before speaking:

“Famous people are eloquent and logical, but they have gone astray.”

"They are eloquent, but not in expounding the truth; they are eloquent in sophistry."

"A white horse is not a horse" sounds mysterious, but no matter how much you argue, it doesn't change the fact that a white horse is a horse.

"Gongsun Long can use the white horse as a metaphor to fool a few gatekeepers, but it is of no use to governing a country."

"He used sophistry to refute Zisi until he could not utter a word."

"However, Kong Chuan ended his political career and completely ruined the reputation of a renowned scholar with just a few words."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but ask, "What did Kong Chuan say?"

(End of this chapter)