Forbidden City, Wenhua Palace.
Zhu Yijun glanced at Xu De and asked expressionlessly, "Is Li Zhi here?"
"Replying to the Imperial Majesty, he is here. He has been hesitating and still doesn't trust this servant." Xu De said helplessly, "He always feels that this servant is deceiving him."
Zhu Yijun nodded. He knew that Xu De was trying to absolve him, but this was a small matter.
Putting the memorial in his hand to the side, Zhu Yijun said, "Send him to the palace!"
"Be careful. Don't let everyone know." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and exhorted.
"This servant understands!" Xu De nodded and said respectfully.
After Li Zhi entered the palace, he finally believed that he had been summoned by the Emperor. Although he was shocked, he still couldn't figure out why.
Why did the Emperor want to see him like this? However, he felt that the Emperor would give him an explanation after seeing him.
In the end, Li Zhi was just a scholar. Perhaps he had many thoughts and opinions, but Li Zhi didn't have a clear understanding of the matters of the bureaucracy.
Li Zhi didn't expect to be led to a drill ground. However, there was no one there. When he saw the young man standing at the side of the drill ground, Li Zhi immediately realized that it was the Emperor.
Being in the south and far from the bureaucracy, Li Zhi didn't know much about the new Emperor.
Although it had been ten years since he ascended the throne, the new Emperor didn't have much of a presence.
"Imperial Majesty, Sir Li is here!" Xu De came to Zhu Yijun's side and bowed.
Zhu Yijun waved his hand, indicating for Xu De to withdraw. Afterwards, he waved his hand for Li Zhi to dispense with the formalities. After sizing up Li Zhi, he opened his mouth and said, "Are you curious as to why We have summoned you?"
"Yes, this student doesn't understand!" Li Zhi bowed.
Although Li Zhi had been an official and had even become the prefectural magistrate, he had long resigned.
"I know about the Taizhou Sect, Wang Gen, and He Xinyin."
Looking at Li Zhi, Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "We have also read your thoughts and writings. We even know of He Xinyin's thoughts."
"We also know that He Xinyin had once established a harmonious clan in his hometown. He was in charge of the clan's affairs, including marriage, funerals, taxes, and everything else.
It's just that he failed. He spent all his money and couldn't continue living. "
"I also know that He Xinyin once proposed the idea of 'no father and no king is not patricide'. Did I say anything wrong?"
Li Zhi looked at the smiling young sovereign in front of him. The expression on his face slightly froze. He had not expected that the emperor would have such a deep understanding of his Taizhou School of Thought.
However, he was even more confused, so he didn't say anything.
"We also know about He Xinyin's death. He was denounced as a heretic."
"But you know what?
When He Xinyin died, we thought of Shao Zhengmao.
You might not know this, but compared to Confucianism, We hold Legalism in even higher esteem because Legalism's thoughts are very clear. "
"Everything is put to death by law. If we can make it so that princes are treated the same as commoners when they break the law, then the world will inevitably be cleansed."
"It's not that we shouldn't punish the officials or treat the commoners with courtesy. We are all human, born of parents and raised by mothers. Why must we be divided into different ranks?
Could it be that because you have read more books than others and understand more principles, you are a cut above others?
This doesn't make sense! "
"Didn't Confucius say, 'When three people walk together, there must be a teacher'?
Doesn't that mean that no one is perfect? You will always be inferior to others in some aspect? Why do you feel that you are a cut above others? "
This time, Li Zhi was completely dumbfounded. He had been denounced as a heretic by the mainstream school of thought, but why did he feel that this new emperor was even more of a heretic than he was?
Glancing at the dumbfounded Li Zhi, Zhu Yijun smiled. Moreover, his smile was very happy. "Did you not expect us to say this?
We have read history books since we were young and studied the views of the various schools. We have also comprehended some things. "
"Regardless of the school's ideology, the goal is for the Great Harmony of the world, the well-being of the common people, and the prosperity of the country. Do you agree with this point?"
Li Zhi nodded his head. "This student agrees."
"Daoism emphasizes peace and inaction. They believe that if the imperial court interferes less with the common people, the common people's lives will be much better.
Legalism, on the other hand, believes that strict laws should be used to restrict people's actions.
As the saying goes, 'Don't distinguish between close and distant, don't distinguish between nobility and inferiority, cut off from the law.' This is in direct opposition to the Confucian school's' Don't punish the officials or treat the commoners with courtesy. '
"Although the Hundred Schools of Thought are numerous and each has its own views, there are only these three schools that can truly uphold the country's governance.
"Although the other schools, such as the School of Vertical and Horizontal and the School of Mohism, have also flourished, they have not upheld the country's governance."
Zhu Yijun glanced at Li Zhi again. Smiling, he said, "Of the three schools of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism, We hold the school of Legalism in the highest esteem. Among them, 'Don't distinguish between close and distant, don't distinguish between nobility and inferiority, cut off from the law.' This is what We want to achieve the most."
"After hearing the ideology of your Taishan School, We are also very interested."
"In reality, We have also been searching for a way to strengthen the country. This is also the reason We established the Inner Works. We wish to search the world for an ideology or a method that will allow the Daming to prosper and the common people to live and work in peace and contentment."
"When He Xinyin was doing things, We paid close attention and hoped that he would succeed. Unfortunately, He Xinyin failed."
"From He Xinyin's ideology, We have learned one thing. The human heart seeks profit. No one is selfless. Everyone seeks profit and avoids harm. They all have selfish motives.
We can ask everyone to be selfless, but not everyone is able to do so. "
"Oftentimes, when something happens, it is the selfless who suffer."
Zhu Yijun glanced at Li Zhi again. Smiling, he asked, "Don't you feel that what We have said is very chaotic?
In reality, it is not only my words that are chaotic. Our heart is also very chaotic.
After hearing about your affairs, We wanted to find you. Two minds are better than one, isn't that right? "
Li Zhi was silent. Zhu Yijun had clearly subverted his understanding of the Emperor, but he had also been confused by the Emperor's words.
It was true that Li Zhi had many ideas and many propositions. He also opposed Confucianism and Confucianism, but he had never risen to the level of a country.
Now that the Emperor had said this, Li Zhi also felt perplexed.
"Tell Us, what do you think should be done to cleanse the world and allow the Daming to prosper and prosper?"
"We do not wish to hear some broad concepts. We wish to hear concrete methods."
"Dong Zhongshu's ideology of unification initiated the prosperity of the Han Dynasty and was also revered by the successive dynasties.
Now that Confucianism is flourishing, We hope that you will also have a theory of your own, one that can 'prosper and strengthen the Daming and benefit the common people'. "
After being silent for a while, Li Zhi slowly opened his mouth and said, "Although this student has also thought a lot, Your Imperial Majesty's question is too broad. This student does not know how to answer for a moment."
In reality, Li Zhi had not yet begun his writings. Although his ideas had some sprouts, he had not put forward many propositions.
Most of the time, he only had a vague idea. It would be difficult for him to directly put it forward.
Zhu Yijun glanced at Li Zhi and nodded his head, saying, "We are preparing to make some attempts. Why don't you go and take a look?"
What Zhu Yijun was talking about was, of course, the civil service system. Regarding the civil service system, Zhu Yijun not only had a code of conduct, but also gave some ideas and propositions.
The civil service training period was three months. On one hand, it was training, and on the other hand, it was screening.
"Go and be a teacher!" Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "Teach some students!"
Li Zhi was stunned. Teach again?
Although he did not know who he would be teaching, the Emperor had expended so much effort to bring him to the capital. The Emperor would definitely not let him simply teach students. Li Zhi could understand this point.
"We have something to say first. Doesn't the study of the mind emphasize the unity of knowledge and action?"
"It's a good time for you to try it out. You'll know as you go. Maybe you'll know what to do after you try it."
Li Zhi bowed and said, "This student understands!"
Zhu Yijun nodded his head again, saying, "As the saying goes, the rope saws the wood, and the dripping water wears through the stone. In this world, there is nothing that happens overnight.
Spreading ideas and allowing people to agree with them requires time. "
"Confucius once traveled around the world, but his ideas were not accepted by people."
"However, Confucius had three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages. We feel that you can learn from him.
This time, you can try to accept some students. The perfection of ideas needs to be passed on. "
Li Zhi bowed again and said, "This student understands!"
When the conversation was almost over, Li Zhi left the imperial palace. Zhu Yijun was somewhat dispirited.
In reality, Zhu Yijun could see that Li Zhi had some ideas. However, the things that Zhu Yijun said were even more radical than Li Zhi's ideas.
For example, Li Zhi could not accept the argument that all men were born equal and the argument about legalism.
Perhaps the current Li Zhi had not reached the stage of great success in his academic and thinking. Even if he had reached great success, Li Zhi's thinking was far from that of the future.
However, Zhu Yijun could not find any good theories or ideas. In this era, the most forward-looking thinking was the Taizhou School of Thought.
If one wanted to create or reform a thought that met one's requirements, then only they were suitable.
For example, Zhu Yijun had high hopes for the civil servants he recruited this time. These people would be his team!
Starting from a county, expanding to a prefecture, then to a province, and finally to the entire country.
When the civil servant system replaced the current official system, the reform of the entire country would be complete.
This process was bound to be arduous and long. However, Zhu Yijun would not give up. If ten years was not enough, then twenty years. If twenty years was not enough, then thirty years. Sooner or later, it would be completed.
Zhu Yijun also understood that while regulations and systems were one aspect, ideas were also very important. This was also why Zhu Yijun chose Li Zhi.
For the newly recruited civil servants, Li Zhi was also a test.