The first assistant of the cabinet Congzhe started to play Emperor Wanli yesterday afternoon, and asked the cabinet ministers and Qiqing to go to Guozijian to listen to the summary of the debate, and Emperor Wanli approved, so early this morning, Fang Congzhe sent someone to notify the officials of the six yamen and the Metropolitan Procuratorate to go to Guozijian together-

The Ming official system, with the six Shangshu and the Imperial History of the Metropolitan Procuratorate as the Seven Secretaries, and the current Beijing Six Ministries only the Ministry of Shangshu Zheng Jizhi and the Criminal Department Shangshu Li Wei are the main officials, and the remaining four are signed by the Shilang, the Metropolitan Procuratorate also lacks the left imperial history, and the right imperial history Zhang Wenda is in charge of the court, these seven ministers were surprised when they received Fang Congzhe's notice: Isn't the old Fang Ge very annoyed that Xu Guangqi, Zhang Yuan and others bypassed the cabinet to hold a big debate, why did they want the six ministries and seven secretaries to listen to the debate?

Zhang Yuan also felt strange at first, Fang Congzhe should have known that Shen Yu's side had failed in the debate, how could Fang Congzhe still let these ministers come to the auditorium with great fanfare, what did Fang Congzhe want to do? Immediately, he understood Fang Congzhe's intentions, and sighed slightly in his heart.

On the Yilun Hall, the crown prince Zhu Changluo sat under the edict of Taizu, and the officials of the six departments and seven qing, Zhan Shifu, Hanlin Yuan, and Guozijian were listed left and right, except for the Wanli Emperor who was not here, almost all the real power figures of the Ming Dynasty arrived, and Zhu Guozhen, the prince of the country, reported to the crown prince about the debate the day before yesterday, and said that Master Lianchi had passed away, and Liu Zongzhou left a letter to withdraw from today's debate summary has set off to return to Jiangnan-

Shen Yu, who advocated the strict prohibition of Catholicism in the big debate, now there are only two of the four people left, Shen Yu said: "His Royal Highness the Prince, the second debate the day before yesterday, revised Zhang Yuan and Liu Zong's secret conversation all the way, Liu Zongzhou's withdrawal from the debate must be Zhang Yuan's obstruction. Liu Zongzhou did not play his due role in this debate, and now he withdrew halfway, which made Shen Yu very dissatisfied.

Zhang Yuan said politely: "Mr. Qidong was invited by Shen Shilang from Shaoxing, and now that he is leaving Beijing, Shen Shilang doesn't know the reason, but he speculates, which is really ridiculous." ”

Crown Prince Zhu Changluo said: "Didn't Liu Zongzhou leave a letter, what did the letter say?" ”

Shen Yu glared at Zhang Yuan hatefully. He said to the crown prince: "Liu Zongzhou said in his letter that current affairs are not going well, and Si Dao is obstructing mourning, and he can't be a minister of the world, so he will be a Confucian who promotes Taoism. ”

Li Zhizao said: "The debate is presided over by the East Palace, and there is no conclusion yet, Liu Zongzhou's departure halfway is a gift for no minister, and he is called a Confucian in vain." ”

Zhu Changluo knew that these ministers were arguing endlessly, and said: "Today is the summary of the debate, so you can make your own statements." Xu Zanshan said first. ”

Xu Guangqi concisely and concisely stated his side's debating views and arguments on 15 and 16 July. Shen Yu then also stated their views and arguments in public, and Zhang Yuan heard that some of the arguments were newly added by Shen Yu, and immediately raised objections. Requests for the transcript of the scribe to be corroborated—

Fang Congzhe spoke: "Why does Zhang Xiu have to be so careful, today is a debate and summary statement, and it is not impossible to add a little." Now that the two sides have expressed their opinions, it is up to the officials of the Hanlin Academy and the Zhan Mansion to comment on the gains and losses of both sides. ”

Qian Longxi, the young man of the Zhan Mansion, said to the crown prince: "Rong Chen will comment after discussing with his colleagues in the Zhan Mansion. ”

Guo Shu, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, also made the same request, and after getting the permission of the crown prince, the thirty officials of the Zhan Mansion and the Hanlin Academy withdrew from the Yilun Hall and went to the east of the Guozi Priest's Office to discuss, while the officials of the Yilun Hall waited quietly, and Zhu Guozhen invited the crown prince and the eldest grandson to the back hall to rest, and about three minutes later, the officials of the Zhan Mansion and the Hanlin Academy returned to the Yilun Hall. The crown prince also returned to his seat.

Guo Shu was older, Qian Longxi asked Guo Shu to comment first, Guo Shu said a lot of sages and high opinions, and the final comment was as Zhang Yuan expected, still biased towards Shen Yu's side, but the wording was milder, thinking that Westerners and good scholars could also work for the Ming Dynasty. It is not necessary to be evicted blankly.

Qian Longxi's views are similar to Guo Wei's, and it is also a compromise attitude, Xu Guangqi, Li Zhizao, and Long Huamin's four missionaries are obviously a little lost, and the debate in the first two days is clearly that their side has the upper hand, but these judges are still biased towards Shen Yu. can't help but make them feel frustrated -

But Zhang Yuan was not much surprised by this result, and the conservative forces of the late Ming Dynasty were extremely strong. Li Zicheng is about to attack the city of Beijing, and the court officials are still arguing about whether to move the capital to Nanjing, and it is now the winter of the forty-fourth year of Wanli, Nurhachi has not yet issued the "Seven Hatreds" to attack the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, who were born in the thirty-fourth year of Wanli, are still herding sheep in Shaanxi, although there are natural and man-made disasters in the Ming Dynasty, but in the eyes of most subjects, this is still a prosperous era, and there is not much sense of crisis, blind arrogance is a common mentality, Zhang Yuan can not change this situation with a debate-

And Fang Congzhe's visit to Guozijian in person was to put pressure on the officials of the Hanlin Academy and the Zhan Mansion, because Fang Congzhe had already made it clear that he supported Shen Yu, where would these officials resented the mind of the first assistant Fang Congzhe for the sake of Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan, if it weren't for Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan who had the upper hand in the debate, the wording of the judges would not be so gentle, and they would definitely be completely on Shen Yu's side-

Fang Congzhe glanced at Xu Guangqi, Zhang Yuan and others, smiled slightly, and said in his heart: "What is the use of speaking in the court by virtue of status and strength, what is the use of being able to speak well and speak skillfully." He saluted the crown prince Zhu Changluo and said: "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, this debate is over here, the minister thinks that this kind of debate will not only disturb people's hearts, but will not help the country's political affairs, and this kind of useless debate should not be held again in the future." ”

Fang Congzhe wanted to erase the influence of this debate in a few words, and to implement Shen Yu's proposition of banning Catholicism as usual, Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan naturally had to fight for it, Xu Guangqi said: "The debate in the first two days has been discussed in terms of the principle of exhausting things, promoting benefits and eliminating harms, how can it be said that there is no benefit. ”

Crown Prince Zhu Changluo was quite respectful to the speaker Xu Guangqi and asked, "Then what innovations does Xu Zanshan want to make in court politics through this debate?" ”

Xu Guangqi said: "The minister has three suggestions: first, release Wang Fengsu and other priests and parishioners, and return the Nanjing Church to the Jesuits; Second, the Ministry of Rites set up a calendar bureau to reconstruct the calendar with reference to the Western calendar; Third, the Hanlin Academy set up a translation bureau, and Confucian ministers and Western courtiers translated Western calendars, geography, medicine, farmland, and water conservancy books to make up for the lack of our Ming Dynasty. ”

Fang Congzhe said: "Wang Fengsu and Xie Wulu incite the congregation and attempt to rebel, and they must not be tolerated, as for the calendar, the Western calendar must not be used, I have no talents like Guo Shoujing in the Ming Dynasty, Qin Tianjian will absorb talents who understand the calendar to cultivate the calendar, why do Westerners need to participate, translating Western books is even more meaningless, my Ming Agricultural Book has "Qi Min Yao Shu", and the medical book has "Compendium of Materia Medica", which is more applicable than the books of Westerners who are remote overseas. ”

Zhang Yuan said: ""Qi Min Yaoshu" was written in the Northern Wei Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago, and the old Fang Ge still thinks that it is applicable to the current Ming Dynasty? ”

Fang Congzhe said coldly: "Why is it not applicable, is it applicable to Western learning?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Xu Zanshan is compiling the "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration", which is made in response to the frequent droughts and floods in my Ming Dynasty in recent years, referring to the Northern Wei Dynasty's "Qi Min Yaoshu" and the Yuan Dynasty's "Agricultural Book", to remove the turnips and preserve the essence, focusing on preparing for famine and disaster relief, of course, also citing books such as "Taixi Water Law", does Fang Ge Lao think that this kind of book is necessary to be compiled? ”

Zhang Yuan's tone of questioning seemed to be very respectful, but Fang Congzhe could hear the sarcasm, a six-rank cultivator dared to speak to him like this, did he want to stay in the Hanlin Academy all the time, and said: "The compilation of agricultural books is Xu Zanshan's business, and the implementation of the agricultural decree is the business of the imperial court, and they have nothing to do with each other. The implication is that Xu Guangqi's "Sweet Potato Shu" mentioned by Zhang Yuan in the Wanyan Tingce does not want to be implemented.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan really wanted to beat Fang Congzhe up, whether it was right or wrong, just look at likes and dislikes, such a country can still be governed well!

The eunuch Wang An whispered a few words to the crown prince Zhu Changluo, and Zhu Changluo spoke: "The debate is over, and the scribe who recorded the debate will sort out and transcribe the debate record and submit it to the imperial review within three days. With that, he ordered to drive back to Ciqing Palace.

Fang Congzhe didn't look at Zhang Yuan, and soon left Guozijian.

Wu Daonan didn't speak all the time, he couldn't argue with Shoufu in front of the crown prince for this debate, so he called Zhang Yuan over and said, "You are really young, why bother to fight with Fang Ge Lao face to face!" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Elder Wu Ge, students can't change their opinions at will because of Elder Fang Ge's likes and dislikes. Xin said: "It's useless for me to talk to Fang Congzhe now, the big debate bypasses the cabinet, the old Fang Pavilion has regarded me as an enemy, it is better to insist on myself clearly, can Fang Congzhe still be the first assistant for ten or eight years!" ”

……

The next day, Xu Guangqi wrote a good note, and in the evening he came to see Zhang Yuan in the old alley of Li Ge, Zhang Yuan made some additions to the song, and on November 20, Xu Guangqi submitted the song, and Shen Yu's note was also sent to the cabinet room-

Fang Congzhe and Wu Daonan, the two ministers, have a somewhat strange relationship now, and they are still amiable on the surface, but they don't have the sincerity to say it, and the general concert is that Wu Daonan will still obey Fang Congzhe's wishes, but Xu Guangqi and Shen Yu's recital, Wu Daonan did not sign after Fang Congzhe's vote, indicating that he did not approve, and also wrote a special recital to express his opinion-

Fang Congzhe calmed his face, and asked the inner attendant of the ceremonial supervisor to send the recitals of Xu and Shen and a volume of "Debate Minutes" sorted out by the Guozi Supervisor to the Imperial Review, and also wrote a recital, he was going to resign to the emperor, and he couldn't do this to assist him, Fang Congzhe was advancing by retreating, forcing Emperor Wanli to express his position, and the cabinet was now unable to perform its duties normally, and Fang Congzhe was confident that his position in Emperor Wanli's heart was higher than Wu Daonan.

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