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The war was in full swing at the front, and in the rear, the academic community also launched an extremely fierce debate over the topic of the eight-legged essay for selecting officials.
After Gu Yanwu and others wrote articles severely criticizing the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials, some old Confucian scholars who had been writing eight-legged essays all their lives and were self-satisfied with this aspect also wrote articles to fiercely refute the views of Gu Yanwu and others.
Among the young scholars, those who supported and opposed the eight-legged essay system were basically half and half, and the two sides engaged in a war of words.
There were all kinds of people who opposed it. Some, like Gu Yanwu, wrote good eight-part essays, but believed that eight-part essays imprisoned the thoughts of scholars and were more harmful than burning books and burying scholars alive, and they firmly opposed it.
Some people opposed it simply because they were not good at writing eight-legged essays and felt that they had no hope of becoming an official if they took the eight-legged essay test.
Those who support the eight-part essay are basically those who are good at writing eight-part essays. There are also a group of interest groups that cannot be ignored.
Since the Hongwu period began to use the eight-legged essay to select officials, there has been a group of people who are good at writing eight-legged essays but have been unlucky and have repeatedly failed the exams. However, because the eight-legged essay follows a fixed format and routine and can be traced, they can make a living by selling eight-legged essay model essays.
For this group of people, abolishing the eight-legged essay was no longer just an academic issue, but involved the most basic issue of survival. They were also the group that most strongly opposed abolishing it.
The war of words intensified. The power of tradition is very strong. During the nearly three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, the eight-legged essay had become a stubborn traditional custom for selecting officials. Once it was to be completely abolished, it would naturally have to withstand a strong backlash from this stubborn custom.
After more than a month, the great debate shows no signs of abating. Its intensity and scope are no less than the previous war. Even physical conflicts broke out between the two sides.
This forced Qin Mu to take time out of his busy schedule to re-examine this issue, because it was a major issue related to the stability of the rear.
After consulting with important officials such as Sima An, Lu Daqi, and Yu Dayou, Qin Mu issued an edict on this great debate.
The general meaning of the edict is that the facts cannot be made clear, and the truth cannot be made clear. The academic community is welcome to discuss this matter. However, the scope of discussion is limited to academic aspects. Personal attacks are not allowed in the name of academic discussions. It is even more forbidden to form cliques and factions in the name of academic discussions, attack dissidents, and endanger the great cause of expelling the Tartars. Both sides should consider the issue from the perspective of the other party and seek common ground while reserving differences.
The edict also stated that, except for Gu Yanwu's Hanlin Academy and the teachers and students of the newly established Imperial Academy, all officials of the military and political departments of the Qin Dynasty were not allowed to participate in this debate, but were to stand in a relatively detached position and listen carefully to the reasons and arguments of both sides.
In order to give everyone enough time for debate, the October special examination will be postponed for one month, and Gu Yanwu will be ordered to set up a forum under the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuchang.
Those with different opinions are free to debate on the forum, and the authorities will listen carefully to everyone's opinions.
And promised that as long as it does not involve personal attacks, and does not form cliques or factions to fight against dissidents, the authorities will never use words to punish them.
Qin Mu's edict shocked all the scholars in the world. No matter they supported or opposed him, they all praised Qin Mu.
In particular, he prohibited military and political officials from participating in the discussion, which was regarded as a symbol of fairness and justice.
After all, not many ordinary people would have the courage to stand in front of the prefect and argue with him. Officials can often use their own power to influence the fairness of the discussion.
This edict was also considered by scholars to be a pioneering move. It was also seen as a manifestation of Qin Mu's willingness to open up channels for people to express their opinions and to accept advice with an open mind.
Some people even began to compare Qin Mu with Emperor Taizong of Tang.
Because the two have many similarities. Both are former officials of the previous dynasty. Both rose in troubled times and were very young. Emperor Taizong of Tang was less than 20 years old when he conquered the world and was only in his twenties when he ascended the throne, which is very similar to Qin Mu. Moreover, both of them are both civil and military, and they can command the army on horseback and govern the people on foot. They are also open-minded and willing to accept advice.
In short, the more you compare, the more similar they seem.
Beforehand, Qin Mu had never thought that his edict would have such an effect. He just wanted to guide the debate onto a rational path and avoid a fire in his own backyard that would affect the war in the front.
What he had not expected was that after the edict was issued, those great scholars who had been living in seclusion in the mountains to avoid the war began to take action, either writing articles to participate in the discussion or going to Wuchang in person to prepare for the debate.
Among them were the reclusive Confucian scholars of Jiangxi Ai Nanying and Luo Wanzao, and the Jiangxi Governor Guo Duxian, who had retired to Mount Lushan in anger because he was dissatisfied with Wu Xueli's army that was wreaking havoc in Jiangxi and tried to dissuade him in vain, unafraid of the war, and rushed to the city of Anqing to meet Qin Mu.
After Qin Mu heard about it, he hurried across the river to meet him and treated him with the utmost courtesy.
When they met, the three were deeply moved. Guo Duxian gave him a great gift and said with emotion: "The King of Qin is so busy that he rushed across the river for a few old men like us. How can we be worthy of this honor? How can we be worthy of this honor!"
"You three are great sages of the world. I have admired you for a long time. But I have been busy with worldly affairs in recent years and have not been able to visit you in person. I hope you will not blame me. Today, I am grateful that you have not abandoned me and come from afar to teach me. How can I not welcome you in person?" Qin Mu answered while returning the greeting with a very humble attitude.
Guo Duxian, Ai Nanying and Luo Wanzao never expected that Qin Mu, who was so young, could be so humble. They couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
Ai Nanying and Luo Wanzao are from the same hometown, both from Linchuan, Jiangxi Province. Together with Zhang Shichun and Chen Jitai, they are known as the "Four Masters of Jiangyou". They are all masters of writing eight-part essays;
Among them, Chen Jita is recognized as a master of eight-part essay. He integrated classics and ancient books, created his own school of thought, used topics to express his ideas, and expressed his own opinions, pushing the eight-part essay to the extreme.
However, they deeply detested the decline of literary style, stale content, imperial examination system and rigid form caused by the eight-legged essay.
Several people have been committed to the reform of the eight-part essay. They studied under Tang Xianzu, a master of ancient prose and drama, and believed that only by taking the Tang and Song dynasties could we trace the origins of the Qin and Han dynasties. They followed the spirit of ancient prose in the Northern Song Dynasty and praised Ouyang Xiu's theory.
The Four Masters of Jiangyou had a great influence, and they debated with the Fushe and Jishe of Chen Zilong, Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai, Xia Yunyi and others on issues such as literary style. They believed that writing should reflect the "time" and "scene", and should emphasize "righteousness", "spirit" and "elegance".
He also vigorously resisted the imitation of ancient ideas of the Seven Masters represented by Wang Shizhen, Li Panlong and their admirers, who believed that "literature must be of the Qin and Han dynasties". He opposed the "Jingling School" headed by Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun, which followed the Six Dynasties' elegant style and pursued a hard, thin, difficult, profound and lonely style.
It is precisely because these people have a high status in the academic world that Qin Mu gave them such grand courtesy. They are like weather vanes, and their support means that a large number of scholars will come to surrender.
Qin Mu hosted a banquet in the camp under the city of Anqing. After chatting with the three people all night, he arranged a boat the next day and sent soldiers to escort Ai Nanying and Luo Wanzao to Wuchang, and personally escorted them ten miles away.
As for Guo Duxian, he was directly retained by Qin Mu and entrusted with the important task of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
The news spread quickly, and the reputation of the King of Qin for respecting the wise and humble became known to everyone, and more people came to seek refuge with him.
In the past, when Qin Mu issued the Qin King's edict in Wuchang and announced the opening of the imperial examination, many scholars also came to Wuchang to seek refuge, but most of them were ordinary scholars at that time;
Now, as the war continued to be won, and coupled with a series of measures he took such as opening up the channels for communication, accepting advice with an open mind, reforming malpractices and innovating, among those who came to join him there began to be great scholars like Ai Nanying and Luo Wanzao who had a significant influence among the literati.
After Guo Duxian and the other two, surprises continued to emerge. The most unexpected and surprising thing for Qin Mu was undoubtedly Lu Zhenfei's arrival, and he came from Fujian.
After the collapse of the Hongguang regime, Lu Zhenfei initially accepted the official position of Longwu, and was appointed as the Prince's Grand Tutor, Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion.
But when Lu Zhenfei finally arrived in Fuzhou, he was greatly disappointed.
In fact, no matter how high an official position Longwu gave him, it was just a joke. The military and political power was actually in the hands of the Zheng family. Longwu was just a puppet of the Zheng family, and he, the Minister of Personnel and the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, became a little devil under the puppet.
After a long time of contact, Lu Zhenfei found that Longwu was a man who loved to show off and often said that if the ministers did not change their old habits, they would be defeated. Lu Zhenfei thought that Longwu was too hasty and it would be difficult for him to achieve the cause of rejuvenation.
Longwu had a heart that loved the people, but he had no policies that loved the people; all his words were just lip service, he spoke very well, but he did not accomplish anything practical.
Moreover, Longwu was easily angered and had no self-control. He changed his orders every day, which made people confused. He was too strict in supervising and punishing his officials because they were mediocre. Even he, the Minister of Personnel, was often questioned, but he did not know why his officials did nothing.
Lu Zhenfei was struggling in pain in his heart. Later, he heard that Zheng Zhilong had sent someone to contact Hong Chengchou, showing signs of surrendering to the Qing Dynasty. It was an indisputable fact that Zheng Zhilong supported Hong Chengchou's family in his mansion and did not allow Longwu to question the families of officials who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.
In view of this, Lu Zhenfei decided not to be a little devil of the Zheng family anymore, but to turn to the Qin State, which had already won the upper hand, and join the cause of expelling the Tartars.
If the surrender of Ai Nanying and others represented the academic community's recognition of the Qin State, then Lu Zhenfei's surrender was the best example of the people's support, because he was the Minister of Personnel of the Longwu Dynasty and came from Fujian to surrender, which was of extraordinary significance. It was enough to prove to the world that Longwu had lost the hearts of the people, while the Qin State had the hearts of the people.
After Qin Mu learned of Lu Zhenfei's arrival, he personally went out twenty miles to greet him. He immediately granted Lu Zhenfei the title of Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, and allowed him to enter the cabinet to discuss military affairs together with Sima An and others.
This is a real cabinet minister, without any discount, and not like the one in the Longwu Dynasty which was in name only.
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ps: Thanks to my friends Huaxia~Huangdi and Tudou Winnie for the tips. Thank you. I have been writing books for several years, but I have few subscriptions, few tips, and meager income. For the three books combined, there are only a handful of people who tip 10,000 points at a time. I can't compare with those great writers who get all the top players after publishing the first chapter of a book. I am already grateful for a tip of 10,000 points.
At the same time, I would like to thank every friend who has given me support. I bow my head and bow again!
.(To be continued..)
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