My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 57 Where Did Confucianism Come From?
The two entered the study, and Zhu Shuang finally couldn't hold back any longer and pressed for an answer:
"Is it true that Prime Minister Li is disloyal?"

After all, Li Shanchang's identity was too special, and he had to find out the truth, mainly because he couldn't believe it.

Ma Yu said, "Confucian disloyalty has two aspects: one is disloyalty as we understand it, and the other is irresponsibility for one's own actions."

"He did nothing in making decisions on key issues, despite being the head of the civil officials."

"No matter the reason, it can be seen as disloyalty."

Even if Li Shanchang did not accept money from Zhang Shicheng, Zhu Yuanzhang still faced opposition from civil officials when making important decisions.

As the head of the civil officials, his failure to help appease the other officials is irresponsible of his position.

If Zhu Yuanzhang's decision was wrong, he should have offered advice instead of remaining silent.

Faced with this almost impeccable accusation, Zhu Shuang had no way to refute it.

But he still couldn't believe it: "What do you think he's after?"

Ma Yu said seriously, "Human nature is complex and cannot be viewed purely rationally."

"It's like some people who are already extremely wealthy and own thousands of acres of fertile land."

"One year's income is enough for the whole family to live on for ten lifetimes."

"Yet they still resort to various illegal means to annex even more land."

"In the end, they either get singled out by the imperial court and have their entire family executed, or their entire clan is slaughtered by the people who can no longer survive. What are they after?"

In the original world, Li Shanchang watched as Hu Weiyong usurped imperial power. What was he after?
Therefore, humans cannot be viewed using purely rational means.

At this point, he said earnestly, "Human nature is like the sun, brilliant and dazzling, but it cannot be looked at directly."

Zhu Shuang slumped into a chair, dejected, and said:
"If even he is not loyal, then who else can be trusted?"

Ma Yu sighed inwardly; exposing him to these things so early seemed too cruel for him…

But no sooner had this thought crossed his mind than Zhu Shuang jumped up from his chair and shouted:

"Damn, people's hearts are too complicated. Lying down is the best thing for me."

"Why bother with all that? I'm just here to have fun."

Ma Yu: ...

But this is fine too; lying down is better than being a pervert in your past life, isn't it?

For the next few days, everything in the court proceeded as usual, and Zhu Yuanzhang continued to carry out the construction of etiquette and laws in an orderly manner.

The personnel appointments for key positions remained unchanged, and on the surface, Ma Yu's comments seemed to have no impact.

It was at this time that news also came back that Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong had only carried ten days' worth of rations when they set out from beyond the Great Wall.

This caused a stir in both the government and the public.

At this time, to leave the border in this way would be like throwing lambs to the slaughter.

Memorials impeaching the two men flew to the palace like snowflakes.

The following morning at court, Zhu Yuanzhang gave a formal response.

"The decision to leave the border was agreed upon by us, and we just want to tell the world."

“It’s not just the grassland people who can enter the pass and plunder us; we can also go beyond the pass and roam freely on their land.”

"The bandits can go, and I can go too."

Anyone who speaks of this matter again and undermines the morale of our troops will be executed.

The courtiers fell silent instantly, and no one dared to make an issue of the matter again.

After the news spread, the civil officials shook their heads, thinking it was too rash.

But the generals were all fired up, saying, "If the enemy can go, so can I," what a domineering statement.

We soldiers should act in this way.

For those who know the truth, the idea of ​​"a scholar would die for one who understands him" has taken root.

After all, Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong acted first and reported later, so Zhu Yuanzhang not only did not blame them, but also took the responsibility upon himself.

With such a monarch, what more could we soldiers possibly want?

However, soon everyone forgot about it.

Because something else, even more significant, happened in the imperial court.

The legal system and etiquette of the Ming Dynasty were all formulated under the leadership of Li Shanchang.

After the Ming Dynasty Code was officially established last year, he led a team to formulate a complete set of etiquette and legal systems.

However, just a few days ago, Zhu Yuanzhang rejected this system.

At first, the courtiers all thought that he rejected the proposal because he thought it was too lenient.

Even Li Shanchang thought so, so he formulated an even stricter system of etiquette.

For example, princes and princesses are ranked above the Three Dukes, and when they see them, the courtiers must take the initiative to bow and pay their respects.

In the imperial court, the ranks must be orderly, and the pace of walking must be synchronized.

When paying homage to the emperor, the steps of the ceremony must be standardized; being too slow or too fast will result in punishment.

When meeting the emperor, one must shout "Long live the emperor!" three times in unison, and one must kneel when speaking to the emperor, etc.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang rejected it again.

The courtiers were now somewhat confused. They were already being so strict; surely they weren't still not satisfied?
Li Shanchang was also somewhat bewildered, unable to understand what Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking.

Empress Ma then handed him a note from the palace, instructing him to negotiate with Song Lian.

Although Li Shanchang was very unwilling, he had no choice but to go and discuss it with Song Lian in order to complete the task as soon as possible.

As a result, Song Lian directly brought out the etiquette and laws of the Song Dynasty.

There were only five emperors: the retired emperor, the empress dowager, the emperor, the empress, and the crown prince.

Princes and princesses held the same rank, and officials of all ranks only needed to perform the etiquette due to their superiors and subordinates when they met them.

Court etiquette was also simplified, and various absurd rules were abolished. Except for grand court assemblies and sacrificial ceremonies, kneeling was no longer required.

All forms of kneeling and bowing rituals in folk customs have been abolished.

When ordinary people meet officials, or when subordinates meet superiors, they are not required to kneel or bow.

It was also stipulated that elderly people over seventy years old were exempt from bowing when meeting officials.

In the imperial court, those over seventy years of age are granted a seat.

In addition, there were some rules for treating scholars and officials well.

Li Shanchang agreed without saying a word.

However, he did not actually agree, but believed that given Zhu Yuanzhang's personality, he would absolutely not agree to this system.

You, Song Lian, know too little about the emperor; you're going to get a scolding.

However, just as he was waiting to see the joke, he was shocked to discover something.

Zhu Yuanzhang only deleted the clauses related to treating scholar-officials well; all the rest were approved.

This caused a great stir throughout the court.

The matter of Chang Yuchun and Li Wenzhong's journey beyond the Great Wall was immediately forgotten by everyone.

To ordinary people, it's just that the rules and regulations are a bit lenient; what's so shocking about that?

But for the imperial court, this meant the emperor's ideological leanings, which had a huge impact.

As is well known, Zhu Yuanzhang always favored Legalism because of Li Shanchang.

The enactment of the Great Ming Code is the best proof of this.

Although Ma Yu persuaded them to revise many of the cruel parts, the overall tone is still harsh.

However, this time, the formulation of the system of rites and laws has been entirely biased towards Confucianism.

Could it be that the emperor and Li Shanchang have become estranged, and the emperor is beginning to lean towards Confucianism?
Faced with this situation, Li Shanchang was naturally both angry and terrified.

Despite his arrogant demeanor, he is actually very clear about where his power comes from.

He was not afraid of losing his position as prime minister, as long as the emperor believed in his doctrines and ideas, he could maintain his influence over the court.

But once he loses his influence over the emperor's thoughts, even if he remains prime minister, he can only be a yes-man.

This is also why he subconsciously targeted Ma Yu back then.

The situation he is facing now is greater than any crisis he has ever faced before.

On the contrary, the Confucian scholars were excited.

First, the Kong family inherited the title of Duke Yansheng, and now Confucian rites and laws are being fully adopted. This shows the emperor is fulfilling his promise and making good use of Confucianism.

How could this not make them happy?

Song Lian's reputation among scholars also rose even higher.

Many people expressed their shame, saying they had misunderstood Mr. Song.

Some time ago, Zhu Yuanzhang established an administrative system and appointed officials from the Three Departments and Six Ministries.

Liu Bowen chose to resign from his official post, and Song Lian chose to stay out of affairs, which greatly displeased the Confucian scholars.

But now, all the misunderstandings have been cleared up.

Mr. Song is not inactive; rather, he is striving for greater benefits in a different way.

Husbands do not fight, so the world cannot fight with them.

Mr. Song truly possesses great wisdom; he applies what he has learned.

We are too shallow.

In fact, Song Lian himself was also confused.

He was well aware of Zhu Yuanzhang's personality, and when Li Shanchang approached him, he didn't think too much about it.

They presented what they considered to be the best system of etiquette and law, without any expectation that it would pass.

To everyone's surprise, the emperor actually approved it.

Although the content about treating scholars and officials well was removed, this major change still left him in disbelief.

When he came to his senses, Ma Yu's image involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Could it be him again?
It seems I need to find some time to see him.

It wasn't just about persuading the emperor; he also had many academic insights he wanted to share with him.

Zhu Shuang, who had just said she was going to lie down completely, rushed to find Ma Yu upon learning of this:

"Oh no, do you think my dad is really going to break ties with Prime Minister Li?"

Ma Yu shook her head and said, "It's not a complete break, but I'm unlikely to trust him as much as before."

"Besides, your father wouldn't treat something this big as a trivial matter."

"The reason we adopted Mr. Song's suggestion this time was not because of Li Shanchang, or at least not entirely because of him."

Zhu Shuang asked, puzzled, "Why is that? It can't be that you suddenly changed your mind."

Ma Yu said, "Haven't you noticed that for the past few months, your father has been having his ministers submit memorials discussing the various systems of the Han, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties?"

"The more research he does, the more he knows which system is more appropriate to adopt."

Speaking of this, Ma Yu was very proud.

It's all thanks to his teaching.

Although he was only talking about changes in land and population systems, these two are fundamental to all systems.

All other systems of etiquette and law are built upon them.

Studying them will lead to a thorough review of the entire institutional system.

The key point is that the system of rites and laws and the system of population and land are closely related.

It is impossible for the legal and ethical system to be lenient while the population and land system is particularly strict.

Conversely, if your legal and ethical system is particularly strict, then your population and land policies cannot be relaxed.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang's inclination towards Confucianism in terms of rites and laws actually revealed which land and population system he would adopt next.

Overall, it is highly likely that the lenient policies of the Song Dynasty will be adopted.

Even if there are some changes, at least it won't be as harsh and rigid as the original world.

Others might not know the inside story and wouldn't be able to see this signal, but how could Ma Yu not see it?

So he was very happy.

If the lives of ordinary people can be improved, then his efforts will not have been in vain, and this journey will not have been in vain.

Moreover, it also proves that Zhu Yuanzhang could be persuaded.

Changing this era is no longer just empty talk.
-
The influence of Zhu Yuanzhang's adoption of Confucian rites and laws far exceeded everyone's imagination.

With the Confucian scholars spreading the word, the matter spread far and wide at an extremely fast pace.

The Confucian scholars who were originally observing the situation stepped forward to proclaim that the Ming Dynasty was the rightful heir to the throne.

The newly occupied areas were quickly restored to order, reducing the administrative costs for the imperial court.

The most obvious place is the Yuwang Ding (a type of ancient Chinese bronze vessel).

Many people initially didn't believe it, and the supporters and opponents engaged in endless verbal battles every day.

But this time, the Confucian scholars themselves took to the stage, proclaiming that the precious tripod was the Yuwang Tripod.

Poems and articles praising the precious tripod appeared in droves, including works by great Confucian scholars and famous writers.

As the saying goes, "three men can make a tiger," and when the Confucian scholars who controlled public opinion stepped in, the controversy was quickly resolved.

The precious tripod is the Yuwang Ding.

That wasn't the end of it; the news soon reached the territories of various separatist regimes.

The various Ming armies discovered that there were suddenly more people tipping them off, and many places even surrendered voluntarily.

This has accelerated the pace of unification considerably.

When the news reached Yingtian, Zhu Yuanzhang showed a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, Zhu Biao asked, "Father, we only adopted Master Song's suggestion, so why has it had such a big impact?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was about to answer, but then, as if remembering something, he changed his mind and said:

"Go ask Ma Yu and see what he has to say."

Then Zhu Biao left the palace and went to Ma Yu's house to ask him this question.

Ma Yu was slightly taken aback and said, "Your father and mother should be able to answer this question, so why are you asking me?"

Zhu Biao didn't hide anything and said, "My father wants to hear your opinion and see if it differs from his own."

Ma Yu nodded knowingly and said:
"In that case, let me explain it to you simply. This matter is actually not complicated."

"I ask you, why did the Hundred Schools of Thought contend back then?"

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "The progress of productivity led to the collapse of the Western Zhou system."

"The ancient sages were all looking for ways to solve problems, and that's how the Hundred Schools of Thought came about."

"They traveled to various states, hoping to put their doctrines into practice..."

At this point, he suddenly realized:
"The Confucian scholars wanted to put Confucianism into practice, and my father adopted Confucian rites and systems, which is why they decided to serve the Ming Dynasty, right?"

Ma Yu secretly praised him, "He's even learned to explain the emergence of the Hundred Schools of Thought using productivity. He truly lives up to his reputation as Brother Biao."

The person who truly changed the course of Ming Dynasty history with his death.

Hmm, something feels off.

Okay, let's get back to business:
"Overall, there are no major problems, but when it comes to Confucianism in modern times, it is only half right."

"The problem is actually much more complicated than you think."

Zhu Biao perked up. "Here it comes! Another lecture!" he exclaimed. He quickly sat up straight and said:

"Oh, I'd love to hear the details."

Ma Yu chuckled inwardly, but said with a straight face:
"Let me ask you a question first: What is Confucianism? What is the relationship between Confucius and Confucianism?"

Without hesitation, Zhu Biao replied, "According to the Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters), 'Ru' means gentle. It is a term for a sorcerer."

Zhu Xi said: "Gentleness is harmony..."

Ma Yu interrupted, "I'm not asking you what 'Confucianism' means, but where the group of Confucian scholars came from."

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "Isn't 'Confucian scholar' a self-designation used by the disciples of Confucius?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "No, the group of Confucian scholars already existed as early as the Xia and Shang dynasties."

Zhu Biao exclaimed in shock, "Huh? How is that possible?"

Seeing Ma Yu's serious expression, he knew this was no joke and that he might be about to experience things he had never encountered before.

Suppressing his excitement and calming himself down, he respectfully said:
"Please enlighten me, cousin."

(End of this chapter)