BSI Chapter 95 0093 [The Ancients' Dream of Flying]
Chapter 95 0093 [The Ancients' Dream of Flying]
Chapter 95 0093 [The Ancients' Dream of Flying]
The Prince of Ying's Mansion.
Zhao Xu, who had just been enfeoffed as the Prince of Ying, was listening to a lecture by three teachers.
It wasn't just about studying classics and history; the teachers also had to analyze the political situation in the imperial court for him.
Zhao Xu said indignantly, "This eunuch named Ren Shouzhong humiliated and made things difficult for my family in every way, even before my father ascended the throne. Why did the Empress Dowager appoint him to oversee the construction projects of the Three Departments?"
The three teachers looked at each other, unsure whether to answer.
As officials outside the capital, they were not in a position to discuss palace affairs. However, this matter involved the court, and as the prince's teachers, they indeed had a duty to explain it carefully.
Wang Tao replied very cryptically, "The Jingling Palace is about to build the Divine Palace of the late Emperor. The Empress Dowager appointed Ren Shouzhong to oversee the construction of the Three Departments, which shows how much importance she attaches to this matter. However, this arrangement is indeed somewhat inappropriate."
Zhao Xu vaguely discerned the underlying meaning: "If the late Emperor's Divine Palace is of great importance, then appointing Ren Shouzhong to oversee the matter would suffice; there's no need to have a eunuch in charge of the Three Departments' construction. Does the Empress Dowager intend to use this pretext to seize power through a eunuch—"
The three teachers did not respond verbally, but faint smiles appeared on their faces.
Prince Ying is intelligent; he understands things immediately!
The Three Offices Construction Office was a government department that was responsible not only for the construction projects and material management in the capital, but also for the repair and maintenance of buildings such as camps, official corridors, and bridges in local prefectures and counties.
He was even in charge of managing the Yellow River and the Bian River before his authority over river management was transferred away only thirteen years ago.
Such an important institution was put in charge of by a eunuch under the pretext of building a sacrificial site for the late emperor!
Although eunuchs certainly couldn't handle things, and civil officials still had to be responsible for daily affairs, the Empress Dowager had already extended her influence.
Before Han Qi and Sima Guang could make a move, Empress Dowager Cao took the initiative and ordered the eunuch to use his ultimate skill close to her face.
What power could eunuchs possibly have?
Ren Shouzhong dared to bully Zhao Shu in the past because he was good at reading people's expressions and acting in accordance with Emperor Renzong's wishes. However, he went too far and left no room for compromise.
After Zhao Shu ascended the throne, what could Ren Shouzhong do? He had offended the new emperor to the point of no return, and could only rely on Empress Dowager Cao.
Empress Dowager Cao did not have her own faction, and in order to control the inner and outer courts, she had to rely on Ren Shouzhong.
The two sides hit it off.
Therefore, no amount of persuasion or impeachment would be of any use, because Ren Shouzhong had already become the Empress Dowager's right-hand man. Unless Empress Dowager Cao was foolish, she wouldn't cut off her own arm.
The more the civil officials tried to dissuade and impeach Ren Shouzhong, the more the Empress Dowager wanted to promote him.
The fundamental contradiction in this confrontation was the fierce conflict between the Empress Dowager's power to rule from behind the curtain and the power of the emperor and the civil officials!
No one can back down.
Zhao Xu then asked, "How will you gentlemen respond?"
Han Wei said, "The remonstrating officials and censors will definitely intervene. And they won't get bogged down in the Three Departments' construction case, because the Empress Dowager, who is ruling from behind the curtain, does have the authority to appoint eunuchs to this position. Even if we persuade the Empress Dowager to rescind the decree, she will still make similar appointments."
Zhao Xu understood.
The civil officials' next move was to force the Empress Dowager to return power to the new emperor, thus resolving the problem once and for all!
Wang Tao and Sun Sigong took their leave one after another, leaving only Han Wei to lecture King Ying on the Book of Rites.
Han Wei took out a copy of "The Correct Meaning of the Book of Rites": "Your Highness, today we will discuss the 'Great Learning' chapter of the Book of Rites."
Zhao Xu looked puzzled, checked the volume number of Han Wei's book, and exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't we only learn up to the second volume?"
"I believe that the 'Great Learning' chapter can be studied first," Han Wei said, simply taking out Xu Lai's essay. "This is a righteous essay written by Xu Lai, a scholar from Guangdong, when he participated in the state school entrance examination. Your Highness, please take a look."
Do young people really like dogmas like the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues?
You'll definitely love it!
Like the Four Lines of Zhang Zai, it is highly persuasive. Any young person with ambition and aspirations can easily be stirred up with enthusiasm when they first come across the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues.
Upon first reading this text, Zhao Xu was immediately captivated and invigorated: "Investigating things to acquire knowledge, cultivating sincerity and rectifying the mind, cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world—this is also my aspiration! Is this really an essay written by a scholar taking the provincial examination?"
Han Wei said, "This student was very intelligent. He was only seventeen years old (by Chinese reckoning) when he wrote this article. Moreover, he had never received a proper education and could only use his spare time from farming to go down the mountain and eavesdrop on the village school teacher's lectures."
"Such a thing is true?" Zhao Xu was greatly surprised.
Han Wei began to tell a short story.
He still doesn't know that Xu Lai's elder brother died while being conscripted to build the plank road. But that doesn't stop him from making up inspirational stories to encourage Zhao Xu to set his mind on learning.
"Can chicken feathers be used to make pens?"
"Yes, that's possible. Some poor scholars use feather pens to write, and you can buy one for two or three coins."
Why did those village school teachers drive him away?
"Because the mountain people were poor, they didn't often interact with the outside world. Xu Lai was dressed in rags and was often bullied by the village children, so he couldn't help but fight back. After a while, they often got into fights. The village school teacher thought he was causing trouble, so he forbade him from eavesdropping on the lessons."
"This is outrageous!"
"But Xu Lai's determination to learn is unwavering. When the village schoolteacher drove him away, he went to another village to eavesdrop. I know Your Highness had a rather difficult childhood, but how does it compare to this mountain village boy?"
"I'm definitely better off than him. At least I have books to read and someone to teach me to read."
"Does Your Highness still remember the story of Yan Hui?"
"I remember. A single bamboo bowl of rice, a gourd of water, living in a humble alley—others would find it unbearable, but Yan Hui did not change his joy."
"A true man should never give up and never waver, no matter what dire straits he faces. The difficulties Your Highness has encountered, is facing, and will face in the future are nothing more than opportunities for great responsibilities to be entrusted to you by Heaven."
"I know. If a boy from a mountain village can do it, of course I can too. Did he really kill a thief?"
"He did indeed kill bandits. Last year, Jiangxi and Guangdong recruited soldiers to suppress bandits, and Xu Lai was conscripted as a patrol soldier. When the salt bandits launched a night attack, the government troops were all routed. He was only sixteen years old, yet he dared to go back and ambush the bandits. What's even more remarkable is that, despite being extremely poor, he did not keep the recovered silver for himself but instead presented it to the county magistrate."
Zhao Xu couldn't help but rise and exclaim, "To protect the imperial order is loyalty, to bravely kill the traitors is courage, and to remain steadfast in the face of profit is righteousness. How rare these qualities are!"
Han Wei said, "This is all thanks to the teachings of the sages. He secretly listened to Confucian classics from a young age, and he kept the words of the sages firmly in his heart, which is why he was different from the routed soldiers. That is why he was able to comprehend the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues."
"Aren't the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues all written in the Great Learning?" Zhao Xu asked.
Han Wei said, "But since ancient times, apart from Han Changli, no great Confucian scholar has valued the Great Learning, and no one has summarized the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles. The Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles can serve as the code of conduct and lifelong pursuit for all scholars. If Your Highness follows the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles, you can also become a capable ruler."
Zhao Xu then asked, "I roughly understand 'manifesting virtue.' But what about 'loving the people'?"
Han Wei said, "To be close to the people is to renew them. One aspect is internal: to abandon the old and embrace the new, to abandon evil and promote good. The other aspect is external: it can be understood as educating the people, or it can be understood as reforming and strengthening the state. As the saying goes, 'Although Zhou was an old state, its mandate was to renew itself,' which is clearly stated in the Great Learning."
Zhao Xu suddenly realized: "So, being close to the people means implementing reforms."
"Now that the nation's finances are dwindling and border troubles are endless, we have reached a point where reform is imperative," Han Wei continued to guide the discussion.
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "I know."
From the day Han Wei became Zhao Xu's teacher, he instilled reformist ideas in Zhao Xu. This led Zhao Xu to not only admire the Han and Tang dynasties, but also to highly praise the powerful Qin dynasty and Legalism.
Under Han Wei's careful guidance, Zhao Xu memorized two names.
One was Wang Anshi, and the other was Xu Lai.
The civil officials' counterattack came quickly.
Ten days after the eunuch Ren Shouzhong took charge of the construction project of the Three Departments, Sima Guang began to write memorials in succession.
The first memorial was rather polite, roughly stating that the Emperor's health was improving and he frequently visited the Empress Dowager to pay his respects, a blessing for the nation. The Empress Dowager was the Emperor's mother, and the Emperor would certainly fulfill his filial duties to her in the future. However, if any malicious individuals were to sow discord, the nation would be in grave danger, and it was hoped that such individuals would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for punishment.
The solution is to deal with Ren Shouzhong as soon as possible, and then the matter will be over. Everyone will be happy.
Empress Dowager Cao pretended not to understand.
Immediately afterwards, Sima Guang submitted a second memorial: "The emperors of the Song Dynasty throughout history have all been open to suggestions in order to avoid being misled. Now the new emperor does not interact much with his ministers. Please select some close officials to take turns waiting for the emperor's summons, so that the emperor can better understand the court and the world."
The civil officials, having given up on persuading the emperor, instead broadened the channels of communication between him and the officials.
A calculated scheme.
Once the Empress Dowager agrees, the Emperor and civil officials can strengthen their ties.
If the Empress Dowager dares to refuse, she can expect the censors to start criticizing her.
Empress Dowager Cao had no choice but to summon Sima Guang.
When Sima Guang met with the Empress Dowager, he did not mention the memorial, but instead requested that the new emperor's carriage be taken on a tour. In other words, he wanted the emperor to ride out of the palace so that the people could see it for themselves and prevent rumors from spreading.
Essentially, it was about highlighting the emperor's presence and increasing his influence among the common people in the capital. Otherwise, the people would only know the Empress Dowager, not the emperor, and might even spread rumors that the emperor was dying.
The Empress Dowager neither confirmed nor denied this.
Following this, Lü Hui and others took turns submitting memorials.
The two sides were deadlocked.
The civil officials were already furious, but the Empress Dowager wouldn't even agree to these things.
We must force the Empress Dowager to return power!
"Are you really going to make the sky lantern really that big?" Xu Lai asked in surprise.
Shen Kuo was extremely excited: "We now know that sky lanterns can fly into the sky because of the buoyancy of the air. Since that's the case, why not make the sky lanterns bigger and carry people into the sky? As long as a rope is attached, people can be pulled down without any risk to their lives."
"Yes, I also want to fly up there and take a look!" Lu Zhiyuan echoed.
Even Yu Shuying and his nephew Yu Sigong fully supported Shen Kuo's idea.
Xu Lai chuckled to himself.
He overlooked the ancients' dream of flying.
Ancient people always wanted to fly, and some even tied wings and jumped off cliffs, paying with their lives for it.
After Shen Kuo understood the principle of buoyancy, his first thought was to build a hot air balloon, and he received unanimous support from his friends.
Not for fame or fortune, but simply to fly up there and see.
Xu Lai couldn't stop him at all.
Shen Kuo had made up his mind to personally take to the air in a hot air balloon before officially leaving the capital.
When that happens, it will probably leave the people of Tokyo dumbfounded.
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