Two days later, that night, Zheng Sen was writing a letter to his third uncle Zheng Zhifeng under the whale oil lamp, explaining some things in Taiwan, when suddenly a servant came to report, saying that two gentlemen had come to visit, one of whom claimed to be Zhuji Chen Hongshou and the other claimed to be Taicang Zhang Pu. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

"Hurry up, please, hurry up!" Zheng Sen hurriedly jumped up from his chair, quickly crumpled the letter that had just been opened, and threw it into the wastebasket. In a hurry, they threw it out to greet them.

It's not that Zheng Sen is really thirsty for talent, and wants to learn from Zhou Gong Tufu, or Cao Cao is barefoot to welcome Xu You. Whether it is Chen Hongshou or Zhang Pu, in Zheng Sen's heart, they are not talents who can be entrusted with big things. Chen Hongshou's level of painting is very good, especially in the figure painting, later generations commented: "(Hong Shou) painted figures, the torso is majestic, the clothes are round and fine, and there are (Li) Gonglin, (Zhao) Ziang's wonder, color study Wu Sheng (Wu Daozi) method, its strength and qi, super uplifting, above Qiu (Ying) and Tang (Yin), Gai Ming 300 years without this brushwork." "The character is also outstanding, after the death of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Hongshou entered the mountain as a monk, although it is not as good as the Xia father and son, Chen Zilong and others shed their blood and fought for Huaxia, but compared to those guys who bent their knees and surrendered to the Qing, they don't know where it is high. It's just that Chen Hongshou is not a person who understands politics and can do big things.

As for Zhang Pu, that fame is naturally greater. When Zheng Sen was in high school before the crossing, he recited his "Tombstone of the Five" and knew that he was the initiator and leading brother of the influential Fushe in the late Ming Dynasty. Needless to say, this person's articles are well written, and he is also very keen on politics, unlike Chen Hongshou and Zhang Dai and others, who are more artists than politicians. In the fourth year of the Apocalypse (1624), the twenty-two-year-old Zhang Pu organized the Ying Society in Taicang with the call of organizing a training group for the imperial examination. At that time, in Jiangnan, there were many similar reading clubs for the purpose of intensive study and scientific examinations, and there were one or even several in almost any big place. Zhang Pu immediately recognized the political potential in this, so he made extensive contacts with similar associations in various parts of the Yangtze River, organized them to exchange and learn from each other, and at the same time dredged up relationships and won contacts. In the second year of Chongzhen (1629), that is, when Zhang Pu was twenty-seven years old, Zhang Pu successfully united more than a dozen associations, including Yunjian Society, Zhexi Wen Society, Jiangbei South Society, Jiangxi Zeshe Society, Liting Xi Society, Yunqi Society, Wumen Yupeng Society, Wumen Kuang Society, Wulin Reading Society, Shanzuo Peng Society, Zhongzhou Duan Society, Laiyang Yi Society, Zhedong Chao Society, Zhexi Zhuang Society, Huangzhou Quality Society and Jiangnan Ying Society, to form the largest imperial examination review institution in the whole Jiangnan - Fushe. And the young Zhang Pu became the general leader of this huge club. Although Zhang Pu was not even a jinshi at that time, his every move could already make waves in the entire Jiangnan.

After the establishment of the Restoration Society, he regarded himself as the heir of Donglin, commented on the government and politics, praised and deprecated the figures, and his influence became more and more great, even enough to affect the scientific expedition. Within a few years, the members of the Fushe were ranked one after another, and Zhang Pu himself was also admitted to the Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen and was selected as a Shujishi. It's just that the good times of the Donglin Party went quickly, and when Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne and killed Wei Zhongxian, he was just a sixteen-and-a-half-year-old child. I just thought that since Wei Zhongxian was a bad person, the Donglin Party was naturally a gentleman, and as long as the Donglin gentleman was reused, he would naturally be able to rule the world. So for a time, "the people are in the dynasty", and all kinds of "people support" measures, such as no longer collecting commercial taxes and mining taxes, such as no longer repairing rivers, such as cracking down on all Wei Zhongxian's henchmen (of course, who is Wei Zhongxian's party is naturally decided by the Donglin gentleman. Emperor Chongzhen thought that after doing so, it should naturally be the rule of the world, who knows, but the government's finances are increasingly unable to make ends meet, people all over the world have pulled flags to rebel, and the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more shaky. As a result, Chongzhen, who felt that he had been deceived, began to become suspicious and began to no longer trust the "Donglin Gentleman", so Wen Tiren, who was said to be "not a party", came to power. So Zhang Pu came up with a way to operate Zhou Yanru's restoration and regain control of the court. And in history, this thing really let Zhang Pu do it. Although Zhang Pu also died unexplained because of this, it is probably unreasonable to say that Zhang Pu has no political talent.

However, Zhang Pu is also not a figure that Zheng Sen intends to woo, because Zhang Pu is too bold and too ambitious. The reason why he operated Zhou Yanru's reinstatement was only because he held Zhou Yanru's handle in his hands, and once Zhou Yanru reinstated, he became Zhou Yanru's emperor, constantly "guiding" Zhou Yanru to govern. It's almost like I'm the first assistant.。 And judging from the various things he did through Zhou Yanru, it was more about excluding dissidents. From this point of view, he, like Huang Zongxi, is a party stick. It's just that he is bolder, more skillful, and more actionable than Huang Zongxi. Such an infighting talent is not what Zheng Sen needs. And with Zhang Pu's ambition, he is not a person who can live under others.

However, even though these two people are not in Zheng Sen's plan, one of these two people is someone who sincerely cares for him and helps him; The other is very influential, at least for now. So Zheng Sen had to be a little more courteous.

Zheng Sen hurriedly came to the door and personally welcomed the two in. When they got to the living room, the three of them sat down. Chen Hongshou introduced Zhang Pu to Zheng Sen:

"Damu Xiaoyou, this is Mr. Zhang Tianru, the leader of the Restoration Society. Mr. Tianru's moral articles are well-known in China, and you know it. He and I are friends, and I also showed Mr. Zhang Tianru the articles you wrote, and Mr. Zhang also thought it was good. Mr. Zhang likes to bring up the younger generations, and he loves talents the most, and now he heard that you have arrived in Nanjing, so he came with me to see you. ”

Zheng Sen heard this and hurriedly saluted Zhang Pu and said: "If Mr. wants to see the boy, just send a person to tell him, the boy will worship in the starry night, how dare Mr. Lao drive here, Zheng Sen is terrified." In the past, when Zheng Sen saw Mr. Zheng's article "The Tombstone of Five People", he only felt that his soul was flying, his hair was pointing upwards, and he hated to kiss the five people and beat him up for eunuchs. I saw Mr. today, what a blessing, what a blessing! ”

"Little friends don't need to be polite." Zhang Pu saw that Zheng Sen was very polite, and replied kindly, "I look at some of Xiaoyou's words, although the words are simple, but the ideas are extremely correct, and the words are extremely correct, and they are really people in my generation, and they are just tempering each other." I heard that Xiaoyou is now in the National Prison, I wonder what Xiaoyou is studying now? ”

Zheng Sen hurriedly replied: "The kid has just arrived in the Guozijian now, and all along, the kid has mainly studied the Book of Rites, and the kid also reads some miscellaneous studies, such as history books and mathematics. ”

When Zhang Pu heard this, he stretched out his hand and stroked his beard and said: "Zi said: 'If you don't learn "Etiquette", you can't stand. 'Damu is based on the "Rites", which is the right way. Tang Taizong said: 'Taking history as a mirror, we can know the rise and fall. 'Reading history can be the source of chaos, and counting, one of the six arts, is also the right way for a gentleman to learn. It's not a miscellaneous. Da Mu doesn't have to be too humble. I wonder if Damu has any plans to conduct scientific expeditions recently? ”

When Zheng Sen heard this, he replied: "The kid is not good at studying, and today when I went to the Guozijian and listened to the sages to teach Confucianism, I realized that many of my previous ideas were nonsense. Now I have to study hard in order to pursue moral cultivation. The kid felt that he had to slow down the matter of this scientific expedition. How can anyone who has not learned and understood, and is in a hurry to do the truth of governing the people by officials? ”

Zhang Pu nodded and said, "What you said is also right. It's just that you have to remember that the learning of the saints is learned for use, not for enjoyment. Therefore, in the past, Mr. Donglin wrote a joint in the academy and said: "The sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading, the sound of family affairs, national affairs, and everything in the world is concerned. That's what he said. Those who read books must not turn their ears to what is going on outside the window, that is not to read the books of the sages, but to play with them. ”

"I don't know what reading is, what is playing with books?" Zheng Sen asked.

When Zhang Pu heard this, he first nodded and said, "Good question!" What is reading, to get its righteousness, to cultivate its body, to unite its family, to govern its country, and to level the world. This reading also. If you can recite thousands of books, you only think that it is a matter of curiosity and a pattern of self-show, then it cannot be called reading, but only playing with books. It is Mr. Mingdao who is discouraged by reciting erudition as a plaything, which is the reason. Scholars should not be careless. ”

Zheng Sen listened, thought for a while, then got up and saluted: "Mr. pointed out, so that the late students can see the sun and suddenly open up." Late life is grateful. ”

Chen Hongshou smiled and said: "Zhang Tianru, although what you said is right, you are slapping me in the face." ”

Zhang Pu listened, but he didn't defend himself, just laughed. But Zheng Sen said:

"The gentleman's words are wrong. Fan Wenzheng said that Yan Ziling thought that although Mr. Yan was a recluse, but "Mr. Wei, he can't become the great of Guangwu, and how can he be as high as Mr. Wei?" And to make the greedy and honest and cowardly stand is a great credit to the famous teaching.'" Mr. Jinyin and painting, but also Mr. Yan's legacy. Mr. Zhang wants to come and know that Mr. is noble-minded, otherwise, how can he be friends with Mr.? ”

Zhang Pu listened, stroked his palms and said: "Da Mu, your insight has been one step further than your articles I saw before. Brother Zhanghou, in another year or two, I'm afraid that Damu's knowledge and insight will surpass you. ”

Chen Hongshou smiled and said, "How many years? Right now, he's surpassed me. "Thousands of sails on the side of the sinking boat, ten thousand trees in front of the sick tree", you can see the success of the future, and the world is a great pleasure. ”

Zhang Pu listened, but stood up and waved to Chen Hongshou and said: "'If there is a minister who has no other skills, his heart will rest and rest, and if he is tolerant. If a person has skills, if he has them, he is a saint, and his heart is good, which is like coming out of his mouth. 'This chapter is also called Brother Hou! ”

After saying this, Zhang Pu said to Zheng Sen again: "Scholars should be careful about the world. What did Da Mu think about today? ”