When Zhu Er sent the two agricultural book authors he wanted to win over to the gate of Ge's mansion, he then asked about their residence (although he had already found out), and agreed on the time for the next visit. When he returned to the study in high spirits, he saw Ge Yong who was in a daze, and Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou who were exchanging glances.
If Zhang Shou knew what his second uncle was thinking, he would definitely slap him on the back of the head.
There was no such thing as eye contact. He hoped that Zhu Ying could think of a way to bring back the teacher who was obviously daydreaming after hearing what he said. But Zhu Ying seemed not to understand and was still gently massaging Ge Yong's shoulders and back, as if she wanted him to stay in a daze for a while longer.
Therefore, when he saw Zhu Er coming in, he naturally coughed loudly. As a result, Teacher Ge, who had been in a daze like a clay sculpture or wooden statue, finally came back to his senses, and this time he waved his hand without hesitation.
"Well, go home now, so that I won't be accused of keeping you, a newlywed couple, and a guy who is about to get married!"
Seeing that Zhang Shou wanted to say something else, Ge Yong said impatiently: "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. Don't think that I, your teacher, don't even understand human nature. Also, don't think that those noble scholars who don't take the imperial examinations, don't seek fame, and don't seek a future are really free of desires. If they are free of desires, why would they teach students, write books, or say anything?"
"These people may seem calm and indifferent, but once they are pushed into a corner, just like Chen Baisha today, they can push you into a corner! Not satisfied with being a foil... Haha, what we want is to make some people dissatisfied. Emperor Taizu once told my ancestor that since the Han Dynasty, the exclusive promotion of Confucianism has made it easier to govern the world, but academic disputes are endless."
"The Confucians themselves are constantly fighting among themselves! What they are fighting for is the right to speak in the court, the right to speak among the literati! From the ancient text classics and modern text classics in the Han Dynasty, to the new and old learning in the Song Dynasty, and then to the later Neo-Confucianism... Emperor Taizu hoped that a hundred schools of thought would contend, but Emperor Taizong decided that Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism would be the official school."
"Emperor Taizong was certainly influenced by some people around him, but since the court was no longer under the control of the prestigious Emperor Taizu, the civil servants who used to be law-abiding had already split into factions. In the last years of Emperor Taizong's reign, he almost pinched his brains out! Emperor Taizu's original intention was to select talents through schools, but since then it has been entirely based on the imperial examination, what is the topic? Isn't that the most important thing?"
After saying two extremely vulgar words, Ge Yong said expressionlessly: "I said before that Wu Kangzhai is the master of Confucianism. That is what I really think. Because even though I have won the first place in the imperial examination, I only have a family background and the protection of my ancestors. I also happen to have a little talent and fame. So if you want to say that I am a literary master or something like that, I don’t think I am qualified. But..."
"I am the most qualified person to be the master of mathematics! But why have there been only a few talented people in mathematics for so many years? The imperial court's ban on astronomy and mathematics is one thing, and the fact that the scholars looked down on astronomy and mathematics, so there was no one to succeed them, is another. Why do you think I agreed to Lu Wan and Liu Zhiyuan after making such a fuss about your marriage?"