Chapter 174 What is Destiny?
The Mandate of Heaven is with Wei.
These four words are like a red-hot iron, leaving an indelible mark in the hearts of every Tai student.
The emperor came to the Imperial College again three months after December last year and gave lectures in person.
If I return to my hometown one day, can I tell my clan members and fellow villagers that I have also received guidance from the emperor?
Yan You Yourong.
The eyes of the students became more and more enthusiastic. Teenagers in their teens and twenties were the most passionate.
Not to mention that the first batch of students who can enter the Imperial College are either from aristocratic families, or are famous for their talents in the county, or their fathers and grandfathers are bureaucrats. There is no real commoner.
The emperor just said that the students of the Imperial Academy will all be able to make contributions to the Wei Dynasty in the future? This kind of words spoken in public cannot be regarded as empty words. It is more like a political promise to the students for their future.
Cao Rui looked at the five hundred students in Jixian Hall, and he still had some expectations in his heart.
Although only fifty of the five hundred Imperial College students were of Grade A, and could be considered true young talents, there would be some useful people among the three hundred Grade B students if they were carefully selected.
However, being talented and having ability are not the same thing. There are probably people who can recite scriptures fluently but know nothing about practical matters.
"The selected scholar is ignorant of books. The selected filial and honest person has his father living separately. The poor and honest person is muddy as mud, while the high-ranking and good general is timid as a chicken." This situation exists in every dynasty.
Among the five hundred people...If Cao Rui could select twenty or thirty talented people from this first batch of Tai students to serve him, he would be quite satisfied.
After finishing the lecture and interacting with the students for a while, Cao Rui prepared to leave.
Gao Tanglong, who was in charge of administrative affairs in the Imperial College, also ordered the students to return to their respective classrooms to continue their studies for the day. Then he and Zheng Cheng went to the gate of the Imperial College to respectfully see off the emperor.
The carriage, ceremonial guards and accompanying cavalry gradually went away. Gao Tanglong did not return to the Imperial College immediately, but took Zheng Cheng with him. The two of them walked slowly on the long street outside the Imperial College where the stone scriptures were placed.
"Duke Zheng," Gao Tanglong asked, "What do you think of today's incident?"
Zheng Cheng asked with a bit of doubt: "Oh? What's so good about this? The Mandate of Heaven is with Wei, isn't this the truth of the world?"
Gao Tanglong had no intention of questioning this, nor could he. After hearing what Zheng Cheng said, he shook his head and said, "Mr. Zheng, I am talking about what Your Majesty told us before today's lecture, that you wanted to select students from the Imperial College as Lang."
Zheng Cheng was a typical scholar, the kind who was almost "oblivious to the world outside the window". In Zheng Cheng's mind, the study of classics was the most important thing. As for the selection of officials by the court? What does it have to do with me, a great scholar?
"Shengping, your Majesty renovated the Imperial College last year and selected 500 students to enter the Imperial College. Wasn't it for the purpose of selecting talents?" Zheng Cheng said, "Although it is not in line with the old system, it is also a good thing. Selecting talents and educating them is the job of us Confucian scholars."
Gao Tanglong frowned and said, "Duke Zheng, at the beginning of March, His Majesty just dismissed the post of General of the Central Army. The five Generals of the Central Army, namely the Left, Right, Five Officials, Huben and Yulin, which were originally under the jurisdiction of Guanglu Xun, were all transferred to Guanglu Dafu."
"Did Lord Zheng ever think about this: if a student is selected as a Lang, can he still be admitted to the Three Departments as a Lang? There are almost no Langs in the Three Departments!"
After hearing what Gao Tanglong said, Zheng Cheng said, "What Shengping said makes sense. The Left General of the Imperial Guard, the Right General of the Imperial Guard, and the General of the Imperial Guard under Guanglu Xun have all been transferred, and the officials in the three offices are now directly managed by Guanglu Xun."
"The Imperial College is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. Could it be that these doctors transferred from the Imperial College students will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites?"
Gao Tanglong replied, "That may not be the case. Although the position of the Minister of Rites is high, he has never been involved in these administrative affairs. From what I heard from your Majesty, it seems that you intend to manage the officials transferred from the Imperial College students separately?"
Zheng Cheng was just concentrating on academics, not being ignorant of current affairs. Hearing Gao Tanglong's words, Zheng Cheng looked up at Gao Tanglong and asked, "Could it be that Shengping wants to take this position?"
"That's right." Gao Tanglong answered directly.
Whether in the Han Dynasty or the Wei Dynasty, scholars were not ashamed to talk about their achievements. Studying classics to become a great scholar, taking on administrative duties and becoming an important official were all ways to realize the value of life. Gao Tanglong also wanted to take advantage of his current opportunity to be in charge of the Imperial College and work hard towards the position of commanding the palace officials.
Zheng Cheng thought for a moment, but said to Gao Tanglong with a negative attitude: "Although the post of Zhonglangjiang has been abolished, your majesty's original intention was to rectify the military system and military positions, not to abolish the Langguan."
"Didn't your Majesty say that it would take at least a year to select the imperial officials from the Imperial College students? It's only March now, and there's still at least half a year until the end of September. It's too early to discuss this matter now."
"Then let's discuss it in the long run." Gao Tanglong nodded, obviously thinking that what Zheng Cheng said made sense.
However, unlike Gao Tanglong's own plan, Cao Rui had long wanted Gao Tanglong to serve as the chief priest of Chongwen Temple.
However, the order has not yet been issued.
……
At night, inside Sikong Mansion.
Sima Shi was in the study room, retelling to his father everything the emperor had said in the Imperial Academy today. At first, Sima Yi seemed uninterested, and did not think the emperor would say anything new. But when Sima Shi finished talking about "The Mandate of Heaven is in Wei" and the emperor's argument, Sima Yi sat in silence on the chair, without saying a word.
Sima Shi was puzzled and asked, "Why doesn't father speak? Father once told me about the time during the Jian'an period when he assisted the previous emperor in seizing the throne. What does this have to do with destiny? I only see the scheming and the exclusion of dissidents."
Sima Yi glanced at his eldest son, sighed, and said softly: "'I know the affairs of Yao and Shun'. Did your father tell you this?"
"That's right." Sima Shi nodded and replied.
Sima Yi continued in a low voice, "Before today, I did not believe that the Wei Dynasty had the Mandate of Heaven. But today, Your Majesty can explain this truth, so it is indeed the Mandate of Heaven that is in Wei."
"What do you mean, father?" Sima Shi was puzzled.
"Ziyuan, let me ask you a question." Sima Yi stared at his eldest son with sharp eyes: "What is destiny?"
Sima Shi thought for a while, and asked tentatively: "Father, are you talking about the destiny of 'a gentleman should fear the destiny of heaven', the destiny of 'the destiny of heaven is called nature', or the destiny of 'the destiny of heaven cannot be changed'?"
"The previous king was in mourning and strictly abided by the will of heaven." Sima Yi replied.
Sima Shi continued to think, and Sima Yi, who was sitting next to him, did not urge him as he was also thinking about something.
During the Han and Wei dynasties, the word "Heaven's Mandate" had multiple meanings.
In The Analects, Confucius said, "A gentleman fears the will of Heaven" and "At fifty, one understands the will of Heaven." This "will of Heaven" actually refers to the destiny bestowed upon each person by God.
The first sentence of "The Doctrine of the Mean", "Nature is the mandate of Heaven", actually refers to the principles of Heaven, that is, the truth bestowed by Heaven on human beings.
The emperor's words "the Mandate of Heaven is in Wei" actually meant that the king's power was granted by God and was given the mandate by Heaven. The Zuo Zhuan said "Although the virtue of Zhou has declined, the Mandate of Heaven has not changed, and the weight of the tripod is not to be questioned", and the Book of History said "the former kings had obedience and strictly observed the Mandate of Heaven".
As a member of the noble family, one must study the classics. The higher one's family background, the more proficient one must be in the classics. Yuan Shu and Yuan Gonglu, who were "dead bones in the grave", were proficient in Meng's Yijing when they were young!
If you don’t understand the historical allusions, you won’t be able to have a deep conversation with others.
After thinking for a moment, Sima Shi slowly asked, "Is this what God meant?"
It's no wonder that Sima Shi could only come up with these few words after thinking for a long time. The so-called "destiny" or "interaction between heaven and man" can essentially be explained as the will of heaven.
Sima Yi shook his head: "Where is God? The so-called will of God is actually the will of the people."
"The common wishes of the emperor, his royal family, the nobles, the aristocratic families, the common people, and all the people in the world actually constitute the so-called will of heaven." Sima Yi patiently explained to his son: "It's just that sometimes the emperor has a larger proportion, sometimes the nobles have a larger proportion, and sometimes the aristocratic families have more."
"This son can understand." Sima Shi tried to answer: "However, father said that Your Majesty can speak such a truth, and just now 'the Mandate of Heaven is in Wei', what does this mean?"
"Ziyuan, do you know what kind of person the late emperor was?" Sima Yi asked.
"I know a little bit about it. My father told me a lot." Sima Shi replied.
Sima Yi narrowed his eyes and recalled: "The late emperor loved literature, had a clear distinction between what he loved and hated, and was able to endure humiliation for the sake of his great cause."
"I have been friends with the late emperor since I was young, and it has been nearly twenty years. When I mention the late emperor now, I still miss him a lot." Sima Yi laughed as he spoke: "Ziyuan, do you know what the late emperor did after he learned that he was named the crown prince?"
"What did you do?" Sima Shi asked curiously.
"The late emperor happily hugged Xin Pi's neck and said, 'Does Xin know how happy I am?'" Sima Yi shook his head after he finished speaking. "After seeing this scene with my own eyes, do I still believe in the late emperor's 'destiny'? I only believe that everything is in the hands of man."
Sima Shi asked: "What about the current emperor?"
"To be honest, I don't understand your Majesty." Sima Yi replied, "When Wu and Shu were confronting each other in Yiling for half a year, the court officials repeatedly suggested that the late emperor go south to attack Wu, but the late emperor could never make a decision."
"After the truce between Wu and Shu, the late emperor once again marched south to mobilize troops. This happened three times, not only did it consume a lot of military resources, but it also ruined his own health."
"And your Majesty," Sima Yi and Sima Shi looked at each other and said, "You have only been on the throne for half a year, yet you have already personally gone to Huainan to attack Sun Quan, and have won a great victory. Your Majesty is not good at commanding troops, but your grasp of the general situation is something I cannot fathom."
(End of this chapter)
