Chapter 8 Floating clouds with empty names

"There can be no circle without rules. Since we, the Neo-Confucian Society, take it as our duty to support the country, how can we allow ourselves to be careless? Joining and withdrawing from the society are such important matters, and they are not teahouses. How can we come and leave as we please?"

In the process of discussing the constitution of the Neo-Confucian Society, Zhang Bing was quite dissatisfied with Deng Su, who was in charge of the "Yue Li Zhai", who said that "friends of the same ideals can come and go freely", but Deng Su said: "This society is just a group of people who discuss the art of Neo-Confucianism."

The place is not an official office, so how can we restrict the direction of colleagues? The rule of not being allowed to withdraw from the society at will is too arrogant. Confucius said, a gentleman's way is not to work together if he has different opinions. From what Brother Zhang has seen, people who have different opinions are not allowed to leave, which is a big violation.

The Way of the Master.”

Zhang Bingdao: "If you just study Confucian classics, it is indeed better as Brother Deng said. But the main purpose of our society is to help the country. If someone in the future relies on the strength of our society to reach a high position, but abandons the purpose of this society and withdraws from the society to seek glory,

What should I do if I take refuge in a powerful traitor?" He looked at Deng Su with burning eyes, as if he was the one who wanted to do such a thing.

Deng Su was a little embarrassed by his squeeze, and replied loudly: "Of course we must gather the strength of the gentlemen of the world to attack it. But what does this have to do with ordinary scholars withdrawing from society? Everyone has his own ambitions, why should Brother Zhang force others to make things difficult for him. Furthermore,

If we make such a rule that we cannot withdraw from the society at will, wouldn’t it make scholars who are interested in Taoism feel fearful and keep away from them.”

Zhang Bing replied coldly: "If you don't have a firm heart for the Tao, you will be a follower of both ends of the spectrum, so don't worry about it. In fact, there are so few gentlemen in the world and so many villains."

Seeing the two of them arguing, Chen Dong, He Fang and others who were watching the fight were busy trying to smooth things over. Zhao Xingde muttered: "Both gentlemen, what they said is reasonable. In my opinion, the so-called gentleman observes etiquette, while the villain is afraid of punishment."

When withdrawing from the society, their character will be assessed by the Yue Li Zhai. If there are any scholars who have committed crimes and violated the saints, the society will report their misdeeds to the scholars and be expelled from the society.

Those who leave the society will be notified to the members of the society after being removed from the society to avoid misunderstanding. If they betray the society, take refuge in traitors, or harm the country and the people, then the society should gather the power of the gentlemen of the world to attack them. What do you think of this proposal?"

When Deng Su and Zhang Bing heard that he proposed an operational plan, they both thought carefully about its pros and cons, and there was no quarrel for a while. After Chen Dong thought about it for a while, he agreed: "Yuan Zhi's proposal is a good idea." He paused for a moment.

After a pause, he added: "It's just that it doesn't seem appropriate to just assess the moral character of Yue Li Zhai. I propose that the classmates of each Zhai recommend two people. These twenty-four people will evaluate each person's moral character every year, and they will be divided into superior and superior.

Upper, middle, upper and lower, middle and upper, middle and middle, middle and lower, lower and upper, lower and middle, lower and lower, a total of nine grades. Among them, those with the lower three grades will inform the scholars and expose their bad deeds, and they will be expelled from the society. Those with the middle three grades will not matter.

Those of the third grade will be praised and praised by the princes of our society."

As soon as Chen Dong made this suggestion, Zhang Bing immediately said: "That's good! In this way, our Neo-Confucianism Society will not be a place for evil and evil." Zhao Xingde also nodded in agreement. He asked himself that there were not many bad deeds that could be exposed. And other things.

At this juncture, the scholars could no longer express their objections with a guilty conscience. Several people who were usually a little unruly could not help but secretly complained. If they had known that the Neo-Confucian Society still had this rule, they would not have come to participate. They were planning to wait for this.

After the limelight gradually subsided, they asked to withdraw from the society because of their different opinions. However, some of the people who were usually very strict with themselves were a little complacent. At this time, the reputation of the literati was closely related to their official career. If they used the name of Neo-Confucianism Society to gain fame and reputation

, the effect must be excellent.

Not surprisingly, all the scholars unanimously agreed to the nine-grade evaluation method, and Zhao Xingde, because he was one of the proposers and a descendant of Zhongliang, naturally became the evaluator. Although there are only two people in the "Zhibing" Zhai,

Meng Yuan realized that his father's reputation among scholars was very poor, so he took the initiative not to be the evaluator. In addition, there were also stalemates from other schools, and finally seventeen evaluators were determined, and the names of these evaluators were

Character will be evaluated by other evaluators, then approved by the scholars of this institution, and supervised by all the scholars of Lishe.

Meng Yuan immediately patted Zhao Xingde on the shoulder and said: "In my opinion, Brother Zhao is worthy of being a top-notch person." Although he liked liveliness and socializing, he really didn't have much interest in government affairs. At this moment, he also secretly regretted joining the Neo-Confucian Society.

I hope that under Zhao Xingde's care, he can exit with dignity.

After the discussions on the constitution of the Neo-Confucian Society were completed, the scholars invited them to Jinming Pool outside the West Water Gate to watch the dragon boat race of the forbidden army in Beijing. Chen Dong and others had already sent servants and hired idlers to the Jinming Pool to occupy a viewing area with Yangliu Yiyi.

In the scenic spot, brocade mattresses were laid out, and various plum-red boxes were filled with sugar prunes, crystal horns, lychee paste, plum ginger, apricot slices and other sweets. Pan Lou also prepared wild duck meat, dripping crystal clams, winter moon cakes, etc.

Roast rabbits, fry dimes, brain meat and other miscellaneous snacks, as well as newly brewed plum wine and apricot wine, all brought in fine silverware.

The viewing area occupied by the students was a hill next to Jinming Pool. Looking down from a high position, one could see that Jinming Pool was dotted with banquets held in brocade tents by officials, merchants and gentry, and everywhere was surrounded by boys, servants and maids. The bustling people of Bianjing

A lively circle formed around the tricks performers, watching various tricks such as swallowing iron swords, playing puppets, spitting five-color water, spinning clay balls, dramas, scripts, playing the flute, flute, drum and flute, climbing the mountain of knives, playing monkey tricks, etc., in addition to

There were fortune tellers, crossword guessers, and medicine sellers wandering around, making the Jinming Pool seem very lively. More ordinary people, three or five people, found a big tree and sat casually on the ground facing the Jinming Pool, with a bamboo placed in the middle.

A variety of blue snacks were served, and some stood on the edge of Jinming Pool, standing on tiptoes and looking towards the Linshui Palace on the other side.

Linshui Palace, which used to be empty in the past, is now even more prosperous. Countless flags cover the sky and the sun is blocked. In front of the palace, the Imperial Army soldiers are dressed in bright red brocade robes, with flowers blooming on their hat hairpins. Their swords and guns are unsheathed and shining in the sun.

The cavalry is stationed and the infantry are arrayed neatly beside the palace. In the Linshui Palace, royal utensils such as yellow umbrella canopies and golden chairs are clearly visible, indicating that His Majesty Zhao You is here in person.

Participating in the Dragon Boat Festival celebration, the palace was full of royal relatives, and there were countless eunuchs and maids, holding gold and silver spittoons, white jade fruit plates, peacock tail feather fans, jade-handled whisks and other royal objects. Although it was broad daylight, there were two hundred palaces.

People carrying red gauze lanterns and glass palace lanterns formed a circle around the perimeter.

There is a large open space next to the Linshui Palace. Before the formal start of the dragon boat race for the soldiers of the Forbidden Army, the armies performed various tricks and acrobatics to present to the officials. Some were singing, some were lion and leopard dances, some were beating waist drums, some were climbing bamboo poles, and some were

Some somersaults include naked sumo wrestling, some fighting with rattan waist swords, and some blowing fireworks. Because they are deliberately prepared, they are a hundred times more exciting than the acrobatics watched by the people across from Jinming Pond. Next to them, hundreds of musicians from the palace music club perform orchestral silk and bamboo performances.

Xianhe is truly a carnival.

Emperor Zhao You of the Song Dynasty has the ministers on his left hand, the princes and clan members on his right hand, and behind him are beauties and princesses from the harem. Zhao You looked out and saw all the officials outside the Linshui Palace wearing court uniforms. Outside the ranks of the officials, the palace The former commander specially selected tall and powerful palace warriors, which made the envoys from the neighboring countries such as Liao, Xia, Dali, Zhenla, Sanfuqi, Goryeo, and Japan very respectful.

"I wonder how many jugglers there are in the 800,000-strong imperial army of the Song Dynasty?" Yelu Dashi said softly, his voice only heard by himself and Li Ruobing, the supervisor of the West Post of Duting West Station, who was newly transferred back to the capital.

"How many of the so-called elite soldiers of your country were given to eminent monks in Buddhist temples?" Li Ruobing replied tit-for-tat. The nobles of the Liao Kingdom were obsessed with worshiping Buddhism. Many princes and nobles actually donated to the monks who had been following them for generations. Visiting a Buddhist temple was also a joke in the Song Dynasty.

Zhao You had very good eyesight. When he saw the envoy of the Liao Kingdom, Yelu Dashi, he dared to look up, he couldn't help but snorted softly. He remembered what Vice Minister Zhao Zhifu mentioned about instigating and supporting the harassment of the Jurchen vassal in the northern part of the Liao Kingdom. The Liaoyang incident is indeed worth a try.

Yuhou Tongguan, the infantry commander of the bodyguard, came to report that all participating armies were ready. Zhao You signaled that the dragon boat race could begin. After three cannons were fired, amid the deafening cheers of hundreds of thousands of Bianjing residents, nine dragon boats raced Sliding away from the starting line, there were twenty-four big men on each dragon boat, naked from the waist up. As they paddled hard, the dragon boat seemed to be speeding on the water.

"Work harder! Faster! Faster! Faster!" Cavalry Colonel Han Shizhong was shirtless, revealing a striking white-foreheaded tiger tattoo, and beat the drums hard, but his own voice was louder than the drums. Veins appeared on Han Shizhong's short and thick neck, and the elite cavalry soldiers he selected did not dare to neglect. After a while, they were all sweating, but their arms did not dare to relax at all. Following Han Shizhong's drum beat, the frequency of paddling became more and more frequent. The faster it goes, the bigger the splash gets, and the cheers from the crowds watching the battle on both sides of the Taiwan Strait get stronger and stronger.

"I've bought it, I've bought it, I've bought it! Now it's fifty cents a piece, fifty cents a piece!" Zhao Bo, a gangster from Kaifeng Prefecture, shouted loudly to sell the gambling tickets in his hand. Before the game started, the strength of the armies was not shown. Therefore, a gambling ticket ranges from ten cents to thirty cents according to the winning results in previous years. If he wins, he will lose one hundred cents. At this time, the armies have been divided into orders, and the tiger belonging to the Infantry Division of the Guards The Yi Shui Army was half a boat length ahead. Naturally, there were more people buying the Tiger Wing Water Army, and the price accordingly rose to 50 yuan. When Zhao Bo also estimated that the Tiger Wing Water Army would win, he stopped selling gambling tickets. .

However, the final result made Zhao Bo very satisfied. A dragon boat of the cavalry army, led by the captain Han Shizhong, came from behind and actually surpassed the tiger-wing navy. It was the first to break the silk ribbon lying on the water. A boat was in Jinming Pool. There is a circle in the center.

Han Shizhong proudly pulled off the red scarf around his neck and commanded the soldiers to shout loudly: "Long live, long live, long live my emperor!" The dragon boats from all the armies that arrived in front of Linshui Palace shouted together, The Imperial Guards next to him echoed in unison, and their voices shook the heavens and the earth. Zhao Youlongyan was overjoyed, and along with this dragon boat race, Yuhou Tongguan, the bodyguard and military commander of the dragon boat race, shouted: "Watch the reward!"

Hundreds of palace people dropped the heavy ten copper coins tied with red silk flowers into the water of Jinming Pool, which attracted all the soldiers to jump off the dragon boats to salvage the rewards. After they got the coins, they hung the strings of copper coins around their necks, and some of them responded. They went to rest on the dragon boats. Some of them had strings of money hung around their necks and were still fishing in the water. There were even soldiers fighting with each other underwater, which made the concubines and princesses in the Linshui Palace giggle. These resentful women in the palace It is rare to see such a strong man. Taking advantage of the opportunity to give rewards, he threw all kinds of silver coins prepared in advance into the water, while watching with a blushing face those strong men wearing only a pair of calf pants in the water. Drilling in and out.

On the other side of Jinming Pool, there are still a bunch of women looking intently at the soldiers racing dragon boats. They are painted with makeup and have enchanting looks. From a distance, they look like fairy sisters, but there are many around them.

The evil-looking scoundrels of Bianjing were glaring at the ordinary people who approached deliberately. These women were the famous prostitutes and singers in Bianjing city.

"Hongyu, isn't that brawny officer who succeeded you the perfect match?" One of the women with colorful makeup joked to the other. The girl named Hongyu bit her lower lip with her white teeth and looked at her.

A blush appeared on the face of the red officer who was swimming up and down in the Jinming Pond like a lively dragon. "I didn't expect him to be so strong." She thought to herself, looking at the rogue boys around her, a trace of sadness floated between her eyebrows.

.

Han Shizhong seemed to be obsessed with money. He kept fishing for money without stopping. His neck was hung with more than a dozen strings of copper coins and small gold and silver ingots, weighing almost dozens of kilograms. He did not return until there was nothing left to fish for.

On the dragon boat, people with smiles on their faces raised their arms and shouted: "Long live, long live, long live!"

Seeing that there were such brave men in the Song army, even the Liao envoy Yelu Dashi, who always had a look of disdain on his face, praised, "I have seen heroes from the north and the south, and this is a true hero!" The Han general Guo Baoyi behind him changed his face.

, Private Po was a little dissatisfied. Yelu Dashi noticed the expression of his subordinate, but only smiled slightly and did not say anything.

Emperor Zhao You liked this kind of honest general the most, and liked his bravery. He ordered to reward him with another two hundred pieces of silk. He turned back to Tong Guan, who was in charge of the dragon boat race, and told him that such a brave general must be treated well. Tong Guan

Wei Wei nodded in agreement.

"Your Majesty, since the navy is available, I would like to build a large ship to go to sea, visit overseas countries, and bring envoys from all countries to come to court." Prime Minister Cai Jing took the opportunity to push the boat along, and the Liao and Xia countries almost tacitly understood that the Western countries came to pay tribute.

In the early years of this dynasty, Tubo, Khotan, Shule, Gaochang, Heiyi Dashi and other countries that had come to the dynasty had even been destroyed by the Xia Kingdom. Now the vassals who come to Bianjing to pay tribute are much less than those of the previous dynasty.

, and most of them come by sea.

Yuhou Tongguan, the commander of the Imperial Guard and Infantry Division, had a tacit understanding with Cai Jing for a long time. Hearing the words, he knelt down and said, "What Prime Minister Cai said is true. I am willing to lead the boat out to sea and spread the country's prestige in all directions!"

Tong Guan relied on his great contribution to supporting the current emperor and held an important position such as Yuhou, the bodyguard and infantry commander, but he was always despised by people in the Qing Dynasty. Shao Wu even directly complained to the eunuchs for leading the troops, which would surely lead to the previous dynasty's divine strategy.

The disaster of eunuchs in the army, many people even called Tong Guan "Eunuch Commander" behind his back. Because of this, Tong Guan was particularly eager to achieve extraordinary achievements. He led a sea ship to pick up envoys from distant countries.

The North Korea is such a big event that no one can oppose it. I heard from those envoys who traveled by sea that there are countless countries overseas that are greedy for China's prosperity. As long as they understand a little bit of reason and lure them with benefits, they can reappear as foreign countries.
Chapter completed!