Chapter 511: Good at planning for the country, but poor at planning for oneself

New Learning is not a completely new school of thought, but rather it draws on the strengths of various schools and avoids their weaknesses, while it has only one fundamental purpose and idea.

That is to make the Han Dynasty rich and powerful!

At this time, Zhuge Liang’s momentum had overwhelmed the whole audience, but he still had no intention of stopping. He said in a deep voice: “Nothing in this world is perfect and unchanging.”

“As the saying goes, no one is perfect. Even saints make mistakes, not to mention the doctrines and ideas left by saints.”

“We should not blindly promote a certain idea or doctrine, but learn to look at it dialectically and constantly innovate.”

“The new learning may have flaws and shortcomings, but we have not yet discovered them. But this is not a reason for us to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

“What we need to do is to find the loopholes in the process of promoting the new learning, and then improve it, and finally make it the most suitable for our Han people!”

“This is the essence of new learning!”

After these words were spoken, no one among the scholars and Confucian scholars stood up to refute, and the whole audience fell into complete silence.

“Won……”

Sitting in the back seat, Guo Jia’s eyes showed a hint of excitement, and a huge weight was finally lifted off his shoulders.

Zhuge Liang’s speech played a decisive role, and they had already won the debate!

However, a final boost is needed.

Guo Jia stood up and walked up to Zheng Xuan and said sternly: “Mr. Zheng, I reiterate again that we do not want to abolish Confucianism. We will absorb the essence of Confucianism, and we only need to discard the dross.”

“I have suggested to your majesty that Confucianism be included in the political science department of the Imperial Academy, and that great Confucian scholars be invited to serve as lecturers to teach the students.”

“This matter has been approved by His Majesty.”

This incident was indeed true, and Guo Jia had not announced the news until now in order to dispel the resistance of all the Confucian scholars present.

As expected, after Guo Jia announced the news, many scholars and Confucian scholars looked surprised.

Since ancient times, the struggles between schools have been very cruel, and the losing side will inevitably decline.

This is also the reason why many scholars opposed the new learning.

Because in their view, once Confucianism is replaced by new learning, what they have learned before will become useless. How can they accept this?

But after listening to the debate of Zhuge Liang and others, they realized that their worries were completely unnecessary.

New Learning is not any kind of doctrine; it is different from any kind of thought among the various schools of thought.

Confucianism can be a new school of thought, Mohism can be a new school of thought, and law can be a new school of thought… As long as it is beneficial to the Han Dynasty, all the schools of thought can be new schools of thought.

To sum it up in four words – learn from the strengths of others.

They also don’t have to worry that what they have learned is useless, because Guo Jia has already said that Confucianism also has a place in the Imperial College.

“Innovation, learning from others… I understand.”

“So Your Majesty is planning to include Confucianism in the Imperial Academy? If so, it wouldn’t be considered a betrayal of the ancient sages.”

“Today’s Confucianism is mostly empty talk, and it is indeed not as effective as the Mohist, Legalist, and Military Strategists.”

“That’s right! If we can learn from the strengths of all schools, our Han Dynasty will surely prosper!”

“What a new learner.”

“Empty talk ruins a country, but hard work makes it prosperous!”

……

The scholars in the audience were discussing the issue. After understanding the essence of the new learning, their resistance was obviously reduced a lot.

Hearing the discussions coming from the audience, Hua Xin and Bing Yuan supported the weak Wang Lang, both with complicated expressions.

Zheng Xuan closed his eyes and thought without saying a word.

Guo Jia knew that Zheng Xuan’s attitude at this moment was very important. If this master of Confucianism was unwilling to compromise, it would be difficult for the Imperial College to incorporate Confucianism into it.

So he asked again: “Mr. Zheng, would you like to join the Imperial Academy and serve as the chief lecturer of Confucianism?”

In response to Guo Jia’s invitation, Zheng Xuan opened his eyes and slowly shook his head.

Guo Jia’s expression changed slightly when he saw this.

Just as he was about to continue persuading him, Zheng Xuan said, “Thank you very much for your kindness, Situ Guo, but I am old and incapable of doing the job.”

“But I already understand the ideas of Minister Guo and Minister Zhuge. Reform and Confucianism are not contradictory, but complementary.”

“Using Confucianism to correct people’s minds and improve customs is the foundation of governing the country; using reform and development of technology is the strategy to strengthen the country.”

“Xinxue is indeed the right path.”

“I lost this debate.”

Zheng Xuan stood up and spoke, bowing deeply to Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang and others, and frankly admitted his failure.

Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang and others were all stunned. They obviously did not expect Zheng Xuan to be so straightforward. They were shocked and could not help but respect him.

Afterwards, Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and Xu Shu stood up, straightened their clothes, and returned the greetings to Zheng Xuan solemnly.

This magnanimity deserves their respect.

Below the stage, the heads of various noble families were looking at the scene on the stage, and for a moment they were a little bit incredulous.

Cui Yan’s expression was even more dazed. He simply couldn’t imagine that his teacher would actually admit defeat on his own initiative!
“Huh! Is this what you call a sure win?”

Dou Fu looked at Cui Yan and said with a sneer, not hiding his sarcasm at all.

Then he turned and walked away.

The faces of the other family heads were also not very good. They did not stay any longer and left one after another.

……

This debate on the Wei River, the dispute between the new and the old, ultimately ended with the victory of the new school, and the impact it brought was bound to be far-reaching.

In particular, Zheng Xuan, the master of Confucianism, openly acknowledged the superiority of the new learning and took the initiative to admit defeat, which further enhanced the value of the new learning.

The speeches of both sides in the debate were recorded and compiled into a book, which will soon be printed in large quantities by the Imperial College and circulated throughout the country.

The purpose of doing this is to enable more people to understand what new learning is and the future development and direction of the Imperial College.

With the end of this debate, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong became famous.

Zhuge Liang was particularly outstanding. He debated with many scholars at the debate meeting and scolded Wang Lang so hard that he vomited blood. His performance was extremely brilliant.

Of course, the most exciting part was his speech, which was magnificent and grand, allowing the new school to reverse its disadvantage from a political perspective and gain a foothold.

With his words in mind, no one could anymore say that the new learning “violated the laws of our ancestors,” and no one could say that the new learning was politically incorrect.

Don’t underestimate the importance of political correctness.

It is no exaggeration to say that without political correctness, even if the Imperial College won the debate, it would be difficult to develop.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang was the greatest contributor to this debate.

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi. Liu Xie was reading the debate record with great interest. When he saw Zhuge Liang’s words “Heaven’s will is not to be feared, and ancestors are not to be followed”, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Kong Ming, why did you steal my words?”

“You are not afraid of being criticized by the world for saying such unorthodox words in public.”

Liu Xie smiled at Zhuge Liang.

He had previously discussed political reform with Zhuge Liang, and this sentence was exactly what he said, but he did not expect that it would be used by Zhuge Liang.

Of course, it’s not that he minded. These words were originally plagiarized from Wang Anshi. It’s just that these words were very shocking in the feudal era.

The difference between Wang Anshi’s and Zhang Juzheng’s reforms lies in that Wang Anshi chose to directly go against the ancestral laws and carry out reforms and innovations; while Zhang Juzheng was pedantic, insisted on political correctness, and covered himself with the cloak of following the ancestral laws.

This is also why Wang Anshi’s reform failed while Zhang Juzheng succeeded, because violating the ancestral laws was one of the biggest crimes in the feudal era, and those who violated would not have a good end.

“Your Majesty forgive me.”

Zhuge Liang looked apologetic and said, “I just thought your Majesty’s words made a lot of sense, so I quoted them.”

“As for whether I will be criticized…I am dedicated to the public and have a clear conscience, so why should I be afraid of what others say?”

After hearing Zhuge Liang’s frank words, Liu Xie said earnestly: “You must not be good at planning for the country but bad at planning for yourself.”

Zhuge Liang’s face became serious, and he said, “I will remember this.”

Liu Xie nodded and said nothing more.

Although Zhuge Liang quoted some unorthodox words, his speech was generally perfect and there was not much to criticize.

Besides, with him as the emperor’s protection, even if someone wanted to attack Zhuge Liang, they would have to think twice.

Liu Xie put down the record book in his hand, turned to look at Guo Jia and others, and praised: “You did not disappoint my expectations this time, and won quite brilliantly.”

“This victory is of extraordinary significance. It paves the way for me to reform the system of selecting candidates for the post in the future. It is indeed a great achievement.”

“Tell me, how should I reward you?”

Guo Jia looked ashamed and said, “I lost my first debate. I am very lucky that Your Majesty did not punish me. I dare not claim credit for it.”

He was at a disadvantage in the first debate with Zheng Xuan, and it was only with the help of Pang Tong that he turned the situation around. Later on, he basically won thanks to the speeches of Pang Tong and Zhuge Liang.

Xu Shu also smiled bitterly and said, “I didn’t say a word the whole time, and I have done nothing to show for my contribution. I am ashamed of your majesty’s trust.”

He was even more miserable than Guo Jia, he didn’t even have a chance to speak.

It’s a win-win situation throughout the whole process.

Pang Tong was not polite at all and took the initiative to say: “Your Majesty, I have no other request, I only ask Your Majesty to allow me to join the cabinet and participate in government affairs!”

Entering the cabinet was Pang Tong’s ultimate goal.

He came here for the cabinet from the beginning.

Liu Xie smiled and said, “You are quite ambitious… but based on your achievements this time, you are qualified to join the cabinet.”

“Starting tomorrow, you will serve as a librarian in the cabinet.”

In addition to the Grand Secretary, the cabinet also had positions such as tutor, lecturer, secretary and classics officer.

Now all seven seats for cabinet ministers are full, and there are no vacancies. Even if there were, it would not be given to Pang Tong, after all, he lacks the qualifications.

But it is okay to give him other positions. After all, the positions in the cabinet are honorary and he can appoint people at will.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Pang Tong was overjoyed when he heard this and expressed his gratitude immediately.

As long as I can join the cabinet!

Liu Xie then asked Zhuge Liang: “Kong Ming, you have made the greatest contribution, what reward do you want?”

Zhuge Liang shook his head and said, “I have no other requests.”

Liu Xie did not insist after hearing this and said, “Then I will record this achievement for now.”

The matter of rewarding has come to a temporary end.

Now it’s time to get down to business.

Liu Xie said: “After this debate, there will be no more obstacles to the establishment of the Imperial College, and the establishment of public schools in various places has been put on the agenda.”

“The first batch of students admitted by the Imperial College can almost be sent out to teach in schools in various places.”

In order to promote the imperial examination system, popularizing education is essential, and the best way is to allow students from the Imperial College to go to schools in various places to teach after receiving training.

Although the process will be long, the best time to plant a big tree is ten years ago and now.

So let’s take action first.

Guo Jia nodded and said, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I have already made arrangements for this matter and will not disappoint Your Majesty.”

Liu Xie was relieved, and then he thought of something else and asked, “Does Lord Zheng really not want to teach in the Imperial Academy?”

When mentioning this, Guo Jia also felt very sorry and shook his head and said: “I invited him again after the debate, but was still rejected.”

“Mr. Zheng did not have any objection to the new learning, but he was simply unable to do it. However, he recommended several suitable candidates to me.”

He still admired Zheng Xuan very much because Zheng Xuan’s character and virtue were indeed impeccable.

When Liu Xie heard Guo Jia’s reply, he nodded slightly. Although there was a hint of regret in his expression, he also looked relieved.

“Mr. Zheng is a man of high character. He is already unable to do what he wants. Forcing him to do so would only be disrespectful. The person he recommends must be talented and knowledgeable. I will leave this matter to you to arrange. Make sure that the Imperial College has sufficient and excellent teachers.”

Guo Jia bowed and accepted the order. Liu Xie turned his gaze to the Feng Shui map of the Han Dynasty hanging in the Xuanshi Hall. He tapped the vast territory of the Han Dynasty with his fingers and planned the next step of education reform in his mind.

“Kong Ming, when schools are first established in various places, the teachers can be supported by students from the Imperial Academy, but in the long run, the unified compilation of textbooks is crucial. This is related to whether the new school can take root in various parts of the Han Dynasty. Do you have any ideas?”

Zhuge Liang bowed slightly, his eyes firm and he spoke clearly, “Your Majesty is absolutely right.”

“I think we can gather the most learned people in the world and set up a special editing agency. The textbooks should not only cover classics, history, and literature, but also incorporate practical knowledge such as agriculture, water conservancy, and arithmetic, so as to cultivate well-rounded talents who can be used by the Han Dynasty.”

Liu Xie looked at Zhuge Liang approvingly and said, “You will take the lead in this matter. You must push it forward as soon as possible. Once the textbooks are edited, they can be fully promoted in schools across the country.”

“In addition, the system of selecting candidates has been tainted for a long time. Although this debate has laid the foundation for reform, it may not be easy to implement it. Does Kong Ming have any countermeasures?”

Before Zhuge Liang could answer, Xu Shu stood up, his eyes flashing with eagerness to try.

“Your Majesty, I think we can first implement the new selection system in some counties on a trial basis to silence the public with practical results.”

“At the same time, we should strengthen supervision over local officials and severely punish those who pretend to obey but actually disobey. This will both steadily advance reform and reduce unnecessary unrest.”

Liu Xie pondered for a moment and felt that what Xu Shu said made sense, but he did not agree immediately. After thinking for a while, he said, “It’s a bit too early now. Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Well, you are all tired today, go down and rest first, I will hold a celebration banquet for you tomorrow.”

Guo Jia and the other three bowed their heads, accepted the order, and turned to retreat.

(End of this chapter)