socalfunplaces Page 466
Page 466
Huaiqing quickly said, "Let's go to the back of the main hall, I want to hear too!"
Opportunities to hear great Confucian scholars preach are rare, and Huaiqing certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
Zhao Shou spoke with great enthusiasm, captivating the audience. Li Chang'an couldn't help but admire the patience and scholarly attitude of these great Confucian scholars.
However, blindly believing everything in books is worse than having no books at all. Cheng Hui devoted his life to studying the classics and came to understand the underlying principles. Zhao Shou continued to search through the classics, but the possibility of him surpassing Cheng Hui was basically slim.
"This blank stone tablet has been here for over a decade, and I have truly been at a loss for words!"
Zhao Shou pointed to a blank stone tablet and sighed softly.
Just as Li Chang'an was about to listen and leave, he suddenly sensed Huaiqing's aura appearing in the back hall of the main hall.
The foot that had just been lifted was suddenly put down again.
For a woman like Huaiqing, the impact she received was never enough, never too much.
Opportunities to see Huaiqing were few and far between, so Li Chang'an changed his mind; it was time to give this woman a little thrill.
"What does Dean Zhao believe is the ultimate purpose of so many students spending their entire lives studying?"
"There are houses of gold in books, beauties like jade in books, and abundant grain in books."
Master both literary and martial arts, and you'll live in an imperial family?
Is loyalty to the emperor and serving the country, or leaving a lasting mark on history, truly the lifelong pursuit of scholars?
Should scholars have the well-being of all people in their hearts? Should they harbor higher ideals and aspirations?
"The fundamental principles of ruler-subject and father-son relationships are not wrong in themselves, but are they really the lifelong pursuit of scholars?"
"Dean Zhao, have you ever thought that scholars should establish virtue, merit, and words, and truly stand tall between heaven and earth, with their words and deeds immortal for all time?"
"Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world! The sages said these things long ago. Mere ethical principles, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness are just ways to cultivate oneself and regulate one's family. How can they govern the state and bring peace to the world!"
Li Chang'an's words silenced the entire hall, leaving the scholars and students stunned.
This is absolutely a soul-searching question!
Preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires is essentially a castration of the Confucian Way and a downgrading of the ideals of scholars. Li Chang'an merely proposed some higher goals.
Whether it's establishing merit or making words, or governing the country and bringing peace to the world, all of these transcend ethical norms.
Zhao Shou's breathing became rapid without him realizing it, because he had thought about these words all these years, but he just couldn't bring himself to say them.
He now understood where Wei Yuan's excitement came from when he saw Li Chang'an's military strategy; the resonance was simply irrepressible!
"Yes, ethical principles are not wrong, but they are by no means the highest principle in the world!"
Li Chang'an said decisively, "But now it has become the supreme truth, a shackle binding you people!"
shackles!
Li Chang'an's words once again shocked everyone, sending chills down the spines of the students at Yunlu Academy and making them feel uneasy.
Yes, lowering the ideals of saints and then binding them to scholars is nothing short of a restrictive shackle.
Huaiqing, who was in the back hall of the main hall, began to feel his knuckles turn white as he gripped the armrest of his chair, and his breathing became rapid.
She had been studying since childhood and was a person with a broad vision. She had always had some reservations about the system advocated by Emperor Renzong and the fact that emperors of all dynasties had relied on the civil officials of the Imperial Academy for so many years.
Especially now, under the rule of Emperor Yuanjing, with endless factional strife in the court, who would think about these things, or what the purpose of studying is?
As members of the royal family, are they afraid that scholars will break free of their shackles?
The emperors before the Great Feng Dynasty were not afraid, so why is the Great Feng Dynasty afraid?
Because the emperor had selfish motives! It was because of these selfish motives that he tried to restrict scholars.
Emperor Renzong had his own selfish motives, but did his father...?
Thinking of this, Huaiqing also felt his hands and feet turn cold. His father indulged in factional strife and became obsessed with immortality. Isn't the emperor's pursuit of immortality the greatest selfish desire?
At this moment, Zhao Shou handed the pen next to the blank stone tablet to Li Chang'an.
Only then did Li Chang'an realize why the plagiarists of all dynasties had to write the four lines by Hengqu.
Because those four lines are the most resounding and thought-provoking, and can ignite the deepest ideals in the hearts of scholars. Only these four lines can re-establish the pursuit and hope of Confucianism, completely break the shackles of preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires, and then trample them underfoot!
Unlike Xu Qi'an, Li Chang'an doesn't need to hide his thoughts when writing; he can now write openly and honestly.
Most of the court officials were graduates of the Imperial Academy. By breaking the principle of preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires, they were making enemies of the entire civil service.
Even the Emperor of Dafeng did not have the confidence to be an enemy of the civil service.
However, Li Chang'an was confident because he had been an emperor for two lifetimes, and in this life he would be the man behind the empress. How could he be afraid of a few mediocre officials?
"Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the living and the people, carry forward the unique teachings of the past saints, and create peace for all generations!"
As Li Chang'an wrote a character, Zhao Shou read it aloud. With each reading, his body gradually began to tremble violently, and his voice could no longer remain calm.
The scholars and students standing in the courtyard felt as if they had been struck by a thousand-pound hammer, unable to breathe for a long time. It was as if the shackles deep in their souls had been broken with a clang.
Princess Huaiqing in the back hall couldn't help but stand up, her brows furrowed tightly. The Great Feng Dynasty needed this kind of pride!
"Card wipe!"
Cheng Hui's stone tablet shattered instantly, revealing a huge crack from top to bottom!
The entire academy began to shake violently, dust fell from the roof, and candlesticks tipped over.
A wisp of pure energy rose from the statue of the Second Sage, visible for miles around!
Chapter 279 Her Highness is humble and unfathomable.
Yunlu Academy.
Inside the Temple of the Second Saint, the candlesticks tilted and the wax spilled out, and the intense shock finally subsided.
As Zhao Shou stared at the stone tablet, his emotions surged like a raging storm, unable to subside for a long time.
The old stone tablet of Cheng Hui next to the new stone tablet has been completely cracked.
Along with it, the seal that suppressed the fortune of Yunlu Academy also cracked, and the new stone tablet finally shook the Cheng family's stone tablet!
Everyone was deeply moved by the spirit, integrity, and ambition of those words. They all got goosebumps and their blood was suddenly ignited!
"This is the ambition and integrity of a scholar!"
"Studying to become an official should be for the country and the people, for all living beings, not for one family or for a few people."
"A sudden awakening! A wake-up call! A profound awakening!"
"If you hear the truth in the morning, you will die in the evening!"
After a long silence, Zhao Shou bowed deeply to Li Chang'an and said solemnly, "Please accept the position of Dean of Yunlu Academy, Brother Li!"
Li Chang'an waved his hand and said, "Dean Zhao, there's no need for that. I'm used to being lazy and can't stand being restrained."
Zhao Shou suddenly realized and said, "Brother Li has the world in his heart, so it is certainly not appropriate for him to be confined to this academy. From today onwards, when the people of Yunlu Academy see Brother Li, they will see him as if he were me!"
Li Chang'an didn't care about being honorary dean; he figured he wouldn't have much interaction with Yunlu Academy in the future anyway. As long as these great scholars could help him in crucial moments, that was enough.
Zhao Shou sighed again, "With Brother Li's magnanimity and mindset, it's not impossible for him to reach the Quasi-Saint realm in the future!"
At this moment, Wei Yuan said calmly, "Brother Li, your words have helped Yunlu Academy, but they have also offended the Imperial Academy."
Li Chang'an was well aware that the conflict between Yunlu Academy and the Imperial Academy was a struggle over the orthodox tradition. Now that Li Chang'an was accepting Yunlu Academy's gratitude, it would inevitably provoke hostility from the scholars of the Imperial Academy.
Many of the important officials in the court were students from the Imperial Academy.
Cutting off someone's livelihood is deadly, but destroying someone's faith is even worse than digging up their grave and whipping their corpse.
Wei Yuan continued, "The Qi faction, the Wang faction, and the Liang faction have been fighting each other endlessly, but from now on they have a common enemy, which is you, Brother Li."
Li Chang'an said calmly, "Isn't their common enemy the eunuch faction...?"
"So, you and I are kindred spirits," Wei Yuan remarked.
"Alas... A gentleman does not form factions, but I am a scholar who strives to bring peace to all generations."
Wei Yuan and Zhao Shou understood that Li Chang'an did not want to be bound by anything, nor did he want to become a vassal of any power.
However, judging from the current situation, Li Chang'an is at least close to Yunlu Academy and Wei Yuan, and it is impossible for him to form an alliance with other factions in the court, which is enough.
Huaiqing, who was in the back hall, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. The two factions that Li Chang'an was close to were both closely related to him.
She suddenly felt an urge to discuss philosophy with Li Chang'an in person, about Confucianism and Taoism, about military strategy; there were so many things she wanted to discuss with Li Chang'an in depth.
However, she still had to consider her status, after all, she was the eldest princess, and she absolutely could not let Li Chang'an look down on her.
Huaiqing found it strange. She was confident that she would not be looked down upon by Zhang Shen and Wei Yuan when she consulted them or discussed the Dao with them, but she felt very guilty when she thought about discussing the Dao with Li Chang'an.
This Li Chang'an is truly unfathomable!
Be reserved, you must be reserved.
Thinking of this, Princess Huaiqing regained her usual composure, like a quietly blooming flower.
She lifted her skirt and walked away slowly with light steps, her silk dress fluttering gracefully, her beauty captivating and her figure swaying in the breeze.
Li Chang'an left Yunlu Academy. All the students knew that from then on, the academy had five great Confucian scholars, with Li Chang'an, the leader, holding a position equivalent to that of the dean.
Three days later, Xu Lingyue went home to get some clothes.
At the dinner table, Li Ru asked cautiously, "Lingyue, are you in such a hurry to move your things over?"