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Yuelu Mountain is a hundred feet high and has dozens of miles of peaks. It is like a natural barrier that stretches across the west of Changsha. The stone bones at the foot of the main peak are green and beautiful. At the foot of the mountain, the Xiangjiang River goes to the north, like a jade belt. The Orange Island floats in the middle of the river. To the north of the mountain, there is a moon lake, and a long autumn sky is connected with purple air and green smoke.
Yuelu Academy was built in the mountains and forests. In the past, the corridors, halls and pavilions were nestled against the rocks on the mountainside, and the sound of reading echoed among the mountain flowers and green leaves. Leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, cloud sails appear and disappear in the river, and the outline of the ancient city wall appears in the painting.
But now, Yuelu Academy has been severely damaged by the rebels. More than 80% of the halls and pavilions have been destroyed in the war, leaving a pitiful ruin.
However, Qin Mu's travels did not seem to be affected by the ruins in front of him. The academy was gone, but the autumn colors of the mountains and forests were still there, the Xiangjiang River was still there, and Wangyue Lake was still there, wasn't it
A group of people walked to Qingfeng Gorge, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the river on one side. Qin Mu asked people to set out wine and food under the rocks. Everyone sat under the trees. Wu Youdao sat with several professors, while Qin Mu sat with Yang Shen and Shao Hua, He Liang, and a friend of Shao Hua called Guo Jintai were sitting together, while Yang Zhi and the other girls were sitting sideways on the grass a little further away.
After a glass of wine, Qin Mu suddenly became inspired by poetry. Looking at the rippling Xiangjiang River at the foot of the mountain, he chanted: "Reminiscent of the past in the autumn wind, looking for friends by the Xiangshui River. Winning arms in the morning and evening, wonderful words in bed at night. Don't leave too much regret, Return to know the magnanimity, but I still want to discuss it in detail."
Alas, as soon as he recited this poem, Wu Youdao's hard expression immediately relaxed. The reason is that this poem was written by Zhu Xi when he recalled the discussion with Zhang Shi at Yuelu Academy.
He stroked his gray beard and sighed with a look of longing on his face: "I think back in the past, when the two masters Zhu and Zhang gave a lecture at Yuelu Academy, it caused a sensation in the world, and there was an endless stream of people who came to listen. The water in the drinking pool has dried up. Such a great scene has not been seen since the two ancestors. It is a great regret for me that it cannot happen at this time."
"Oh? So, Wu Shanchang wants to be a Song Dynasty person instead of a Ming Dynasty person?" Qin Mu asked with a smile, seemingly unintentionally, but others thought that he had dug a hole for Wu Youdao to jump down. .
Wu Youdao's wrinkled face suddenly turned red, and he replied in a loud voice: "The governor wants to accuse him, so there is no need to worry. I am already eighty-four years old. I have already understood life and death, so I am not afraid of this anymore."
Qin Mu laughed and said, "I want to kill people. Just draw the sword. Do you need to find these reasons?"
No one present expected that Qin Mu would say such strong words, including Yang Shen and others, whose expressions could not help but change slightly. Qin Mu's words were close to bandit theory. It was hard to imagine that such words would come out of his mouth. .
"In other words, my words are not to incriminate you. I just want to tell Mr. Wu that society is constantly moving forward. Academics must also continue to move forward. In terms of academics, we can only always Be skeptical and deny boldly. Only through careful verification and continuous improvement can you make progress by sticking to the legacy of the ancients without innovating your own ideas. "
Wu Youdao was excited now, and was about to roll up his sleeves and teach Qin Mu a lesson in academics, but Qin Mu pulled out the giant sword with a "Clang!" He smiled faintly and said: "If you want to defeat me mentally, I will eliminate you physically first. If you don't believe me, try it."
"You... you insulted Si Wen, you insulted Si Wen..."
"Stop!" Qin Mu suddenly shouted, shocking Wu Youdao, and then said, "I am an official, not a scholar, so I will not waste time on academic debates. Thousands of people in Huguang are living in dire straits. Among them, how to make them live and work in peace and contentment is what I need to consider;
I know that you believe in Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, and since you took charge of Yuelu Academy, you have been committed to eliminating the influence of Mr. Yangming’s Xinxue. Now I can tell you clearly that I do not like Neo-Confucianism, but prefer Xinxue. Both Neo-Confucianism and Xinxue pay attention to the investigation of things to achieve ultimate knowledge. After the ultimate knowledge, Neo-Confucianism pursues the "unity of nature and man", while Xinxue pursues the "unity of knowledge and action". The difference between the two is the reason why I disdain Neo-Confucianism;
Even if you really unite nature and man, Neo-Confucianism only pursues your own cultivation. If you become a saint, it will be of no benefit to ordinary people. What Xinxue pays attention to is to understand the principles of all things and then practice them personally. This has the meaning of saving the world;
It is also through the investigation of things, but the results are completely different... Stop, don't think about refuting me. I will tell you a fact now. From Er Cheng to Yang Shi, Luo Congyan, Zhu Xi, Lu Zuqian, Yang Jian, Zhen Dexiu, Wei Liaoweng, Xu Heng, Wu Cheng, Cao Duan, Xue Xuan, Wu Yubi, Qiu Jun, Chen Xianzhang, etc., together, a large number of famous Neo-Confucianists have contributed greatly to the national economy and people's livelihood. His contribution is not as great as that of Mr. Yangming alone. The reason is that what you pursue is the unity of nature and man, while Mr. Yangming pursues the unity of knowledge and action;
Mr. Zhuo Wu said it well, dressing and eating are the physics of human ethics. Today, the world is in chaos, billions of people have no food and clothing, are displaced, the country is in danger, and foreigners are watching with eager eyes. At this time, if you don't seek to unite knowledge and action to save the common people, do you want all the people in the world to follow you and become one with nature and man? ? "
Qin Mu didn't give Wu Youdao a chance to speak at all, and then said: "I have no objection to your study of Neo-Confucianism, but it is best to go home and study on your own. Yuelu Academy will be rebuilt in the short term. What I need is to govern the world. Talent is the way to save the people. Therefore, the rebuilt Yuelu Academy does not talk about the unity of nature and man, but only the unity of knowledge and action. Mr. Wu is old and frail, so he should go home early to rest in peace."
"You... You are the governor of southern Ganxi. You have no control over Huguang, and it is not your turn to intervene at Yuelu Academy."
Qin Mu laughed and said, "If I had not come to Huguang, Mr. Wu would have starved to death in the mountains, right? How can you still sit here and yell at me?"
This sentence was equivalent to stuffing all Wu Youdao's feces and urine into his stomach, which made his face turn red. But what Qin Mu said was the truth. If Qin Mu hadn't driven away Zhang Xianzhong's rebels, his life would have been lost. Without it, Yuelu Academy can’t even be rebuilt;
Furthermore, Yuelu Academy is not Wu Youdao's private property, and he is not qualified to deal with it. Qin Mu still has an official status after all.
Qin Mu's strength was something Wu Youdao never expected. Having said this, Wu Youdao no longer needed to stay. He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and walked away slowly, but his gait became more and more staggering.
At this time, Qin Mu asked Shao Hua's friend with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Guo is from Xiangtan?"
Guo Jintai, courtesy name Youkai. He is only thirty-four years old this year, very young, but Gu Shaohua said that his knowledge is quite extraordinary and he is a famous scholar in Huguang. Just as he was about to stand up, Qin Mu waved his hand to stop him and said, "Mr. Guo, there is no need to do this false courtesy. I focus on practical talents. You just heard what I said. If you have any opinions, Mr. Guo, you can just say it. Haha, Don't worry, Mr. Guo. Although I am strong, I don't kill recklessly. At most, I just don't agree with each other, so if you have any ideas, please speak up."
Guo Jintai also stood up, bowed his body and said: "As the governor said, our country is in decline now, and the country is weak and dangerous. As the saying goes, if the skin is gone, the hair will not be attached. I agree with the governor's implementation of the world. At this time, all academic studies should ultimately serve the country and benefit all people.”
Judging from Guo Jintai's demeanor, his words came from his heart. Qin Mu liked this kind of pragmatic person. In troubled times, martial arts are used, and in prosperous times, scriptures are cultivated; for academic matters, it is better to wait until the country settles down before studying them. What Qin Mu needs now is pragmatic talents, so that all resources can be used for my own use. Only in this way can we resist the rising Manchu Qing Dynasty and keep China's reputation.
"Mr. Shao recommended you to me. It seems that you have found the right person. Mr. Guo should remember what he said today. I will rebuild Yuelu Academy as soon as possible. Then I will ask Mr. Guo to come forward to preside over the teaching of the academy. In fact, Mr. Guo can also do some preliminary work first. He does not have to wait until the academy is completely built before starting enrollment and teaching. Talent cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight. The earlier you start, the less wasted one day will be. The country is so rotten, etc. I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Governor, for your trust. I will do my best to run the academy well in the future."
Qin Mu nodded and said: "As the saying goes, sitting in a well and looking at the sky, the sky is small and the earth is small. Knowledge has no national boundaries. As far as I know, the Western learning of the Yi people is quite unique. After Mr. Guo takes charge of the academy, he must embrace the sea and embrace all rivers. Rong Naida’s philosophy of running a school is to integrate the strengths of various schools as much as possible without being rigid in formality, and there should be no distinction between Chinese and foreign schools. Only by absorbing the strengths of each school can we be ahead of the curve at home and abroad.”
.(To be continued...)
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