The old people all said that the weather was really cold, and it would not be so cold in Jiajing, that is, the snow disasters, freezing, and drought were so frequent in the past 20 years, and the rebellion of the victims in Shandong and Henan last year has not subsided, as far as the people of the capital are concerned, not to mention others, the price of coal in the winter alone has made them very troubled, and the Ming Dynasty has not been happy - since Dong Zhongshu's "heaven and man induction" doctrine prevailed, Confucian ministers often take natural disasters as a warning from heaven to the people of the lower realm, ordinary people have nothing to warn, the warning is the monarch, Confucian ministers use natural disasters to persuade the emperor to cultivate virtue and diligence, to correct the wrong decrees, to benefit the government and love the people, the emperor is the supreme, only by the power of heaven to make it afraid, this is of course a means of restricting imperial power, sometimes the emperor will also put on a posture to follow the advice, but in the last years of Wanli, disasters are frequent, Wanli Emperor should be regarded as medium among the emperors of all dynasties, not so cruel and cruel, Why should Heaven warn you again and again? After the rise of party strife, natural disasters are often used to attack opponents and force the emperor to achieve the selfish interests of a certain party, and there is no way to save the country, only endless infighting - now Zhang Yuan seems to have the intention of negating the "Heaven and Man Induction Theory" with the "Binghe Theory", which makes some ministers led by the first auxiliary Fang Congzhe quite dissatisfied, of course, more courtiers are indifferent to this, because it has nothing to do with their interests.

……

Heavy snow began to fall from the afternoon of the eleventh day of the winter month, tight for a while, slow for a while, until the next morning the snow was still falling, this is the turn of Zhang Yuan to enter the palace to speak, three o'clock in the hour, Zhang Yuan entered the palace in the snow, did not see the small waiter in the Donghua Gate to wait for the high, then went to the Wenhua Palace, along the road you can see the small fire in the snow, the snow is still falling, the efforts to clear the snow seem futile - came to the Wenhua Gate, but saw that the palace door was closed, and the right concubine of the right Chunfang who gave a lecture to the crown prince Cheng Jiming was also waiting under the gatehouse, and saw the ceremony. Zhang Yuan looked at the snow on the surface of the ground and the snowflakes that kept falling from the sky, and said: "On this snowy day, I'm afraid the crown prince and the eldest grandson won't go out of the pavilion to listen to the lecture." ”

Cheng Ji ordered: "If you want to avoid preaching, you will preach the decree, let's wait." "After asking Zhang Yuan, how was the preparation for the debate?

Zhang Yuan said: "I have read some books, but I am afraid that it is still difficult to argue with Mr. Qidong and Master Lianchi." ”

Cheng Jiming said with a smile: "I also bought a few books such as "Geometric Originals" published by Hanshe, I am ashamed, it is very difficult to understand, only "Aesop's Fables" is quite interesting, similar to the "Hundred Parables" of Buddhism. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Taixi's learning is very different from our Ming Ming's learning, although Ming's learning also attaches importance to the knowledge of things, but it is still based on ethics and morality, and the mainstream of Taixi's learning in the past two hundred years is to pay attention to the surname and empirical evidence, they summarize through a series of experiments, such as "Geometric Original", there is a clear order of reasoning, according to the method provided in the book can calculate the size of things, height and height, "Taixi Water Law" has a real solution to the problems in irrigation and drainage, very practical, This is beneficial to the ethics of the Ming Dynasty, and I am participating in this debate not to vigorously support the missionary work of the Catholics, nor to use Western studies to squeeze out the Ming Dynasty's national studies, but I just don't want to let Nanjing Shen Shilang be indiscriminately xenophobic, and I want to fight for a place in Western studies, and it is also to find a way out for the difficult situation of my Ming Dynasty. ”

Cheng Jiming is Ye Xianggao's protégé, Ye Xianggao has a very good relationship with Matteo Ricci, and Cheng Jiming is not exclusive to Catholicism and Western studies, nodding and saying: "Zhang Xiu has the ambition to apply it to the world, which is admirable, and I will also go to observe the debate of the National Prison in the fifteenth year, and I am one of the judges designated by the James Mansion." ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Please judge impartially." ”

Cheng Jiming smiled: "Of course, if you can't argue, I don't dare to shield you." ”

After waiting in front of Wenhua Gate for half an hour, Cheng Jiming and Zhang Yuan's feet were almost numb, only to see Han Ben, the eunuch of the East Palace, using it to pass the edict of the East Palace, saying that the crown prince and the eldest grandson of the emperor would not go out of the pavilion to speak, and asked the two gentlemen to go out of the palace by themselves, and said: "It is very cold in the middle of winter, and the Chitose Lord will not go out of the pavilion to give lectures again during the year, and the decree will be passed on during the lecture period of next spring." ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "If you don't go out of the pavilion to give lectures, then you should inform us early, this snowy day is uncomfortable." He walked back with Cheng Ji, and just walked outside the high wall of the house, but he heard someone behind him calling: "Mr. Zhang, please wait a moment." ”

When Zhang Yuan looked back, it was the little chamberlain Gao Qiqian who quickly caught up, and Gao Qi dived to Zhang Yuan and said, "The eldest brother wants to see Mr. Zhang, wait at the imperial pharmacy." ”

The eldest brother is the emperor's eldest grandson, the imperial pharmacy is between the back door of the Wenhua Palace and the gate of Ciqing Palace, Zhang Yuan arched his hand to Chengji's life, and then dived with Gaoqi, and saw a few people standing on the snow next to the imperial pharmacy from a distanceI won't be able to see Mr. Zhang for two or three months, so I came to see Mr. Zhang today, knowing that Mr. Zhang's family has entered Beijing, I asked Master Zhong to prepare a thin gift for Mr. Zhang's family. ”

Zhang Yuan couldn't help but be moved, the emperor's eldest grandson, Zhu Youxiao, was very humane, and he was deeply grateful at the moment.

Zhu Youxiao asked: "How old is Mr. Zhang's Linglang, and what is his name?" ”

Zhang Yuan replied: "Seven months old, his name is Zhang Hongji. ”

"Zhang Hongji." Zhu Youxiao praised: "Good name." He added: "In two days, Mr. Zhang will debate with others, and I will come to see how Mr. Zhang refutes others speechless." ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "This time I am debating with famous Confucians and monks, and the outcome is unpredictable." ”

Zhu Youxiao was extremely confident in Zhang Yuan and said: "Mr. Zhang, don't be too modest, Mr. Zhang will definitely win." ”

The snowflakes were full of snowflakes, the cold wind was cold, Zhang Yuan said: "Your Highness hurry back to Ciqing Palace, take care of your body, don't delay every time you read and learn words, practice fitness sooner or later, and listen to the advice of Gonggong Zhong, Mama Ke, and Wei Daban, these people are loyal to His Royal Highness." ”

Not only Zhong Benhua, Wei Jinzhong, and Ke Yinyue were also very happy when they heard this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "I know, Mr. Zhang, please take care of yourself too much-Xiao Gao, you brought a gift box to send Mr. Zhang out of Dong'anmen." ”

……

At the beginning of the fifteenth day of November, Zhang Yuan came to the Hanlin Academy, and then went to the Guozijian of Chengxian Street in Andingmen with Guo Shu, a bachelor and other officials of the Hanlin Academy, and twenty-four Shujishi, and went to the Guozijian of Chengxian Street in Andingmen, and Zhu Guozhen, the priest of Yanjing, greeted him outside the triple gate, and the Western priest Xiong Sanba and Pang Di'e, Long Huamin and others had already arrived first, and after a while, the officials of the James Mansion also arrived under the leadership of Qian Longxi, the young Zhan Shi, and a few warm sedan chairs arrived, and it was Shen Yu, the waiter of the Nanjing Rite Department, and Xu Ruke, the Langzhong of the Nanjing Rite Department, Shen Yu helped out a white-eyed old monk from a sedan chair, it was one of the four great monks of the Ming Dynasty, the lotus pond master, the lotus pond master is surnamed Shen, and Shen Yu is the same sect - Zhang Yuan and Shen Yu have met in Nanjing Yuanyuan, the lotus pond master he has also heard of the name for a long time, Jiao Hong often went to Yunqi Temple to participate in Zen with the lotus pond master when he lectured in the thatched cottage in Hangzhou, and then he stepped forward to Shen Yu, Xu Ruke and the lotus pond master to see the salute, Shen Yu's eyes were slightly sunken, the cheekbones shrugged slightly, and the nostrils said with a smile:" Zhang Xiushu asked Eunuch Xing to come forward in Nanjing last year to release Wang Fengsu's two Taixi cultists, and after being the top student in high school, he was even more powerful, and he was able to let the emperor hold a debate beyond His Excellency's decree, which really made Shen extremely admired. The sarcasm was clear.

Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "Lord Shen, when Buddhism spread to the south, after how many great monks debated and said, Buddhism spread in the Central Plains, and after the catastrophe of the three martial arts to destroy the Buddha, Buddhism finally penetrated into the hearts of the people of the Central Plains, I heard that Shen Shilang also believes in Buddhism, I want to ask Shen Shilang about the essence of Buddhism, I don't know if Shen Shilang can teach me?" ”

Shen Yu said: "Zhang Xiu wants to ask for Buddhism, is there anything more suitable than Master Lotus Pond?" ”

Master Lotus Pond is nearly eighty years old, still barehead in the middle of winter, short stubble is like a layer of new frost in the field after harvesting, the appearance is ancient, the expression is kind, when Zhang Yuan and Shen Yu talked, Master Lotus Pond smiled slightly, one hand in his sleeve, and the other hand couldn't help plucking the rosary - Zhang Yuan saluted Master Lotus Pond again, but said to Shen Yu: "I want to ask Shen Shilang for advice first, and Master Lotus Pond will ask for advice later." ”

Shen Yu sneered: "Zhang Xiushu can't wait to enter the country and want to debate with me, it's too anxious." ”

Zhang Yuan said lightly: "Shen Shilang has studied Buddhism for many years, and his ego is still so strong, can't I talk about Buddhism, Shen Shilang has come thousands of miles away, and he only insists on debating one thought?" ”

Shen Yu was speechless, Shen Yu wanted to expel the Jesuits and ban Catholicism It was originally politically selfish, he wanted to use this to make a name for himself and win the reputation of the scholars, so as to smoothly enter Yanjing as an official, at this time, Zhang Yuan grabbed the key point of Buddhism to break the ego and the law and struck a light blow, Shen Yu, who had selfish thoughts, couldn't move, and reluctantly said: "I participated in this debate as a Confucian minister, and Master Lianchi will argue with Buddhism and Catholicism." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I see. He looked left and right and asked, "Hasn't Mr. Qidong arrived yet?" ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw a carriage coming, and it was Liu Zongzhou who got off the car, paid the coachman's money, Xiao Ran came to the gate of Guozijian, and Zhang Yuan saw him riding a donkey north at the Yuewang Bridge three years ago, there was no change, still poor, happy, upright and pedantic - Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dai, Ni Yuanlu and several Shaoxing fellow villagers came forward to meet Liu Zongzhou, Liu Zongzhou looked at Zhang Yuan, and said seriously: "Zhang Jiezi, four years ago in Dashan Temple, you want to worship me as a teacher, I asked you not to participate in the imperial examination before the age of twenty, you refused to agree, It is said that Zuo Chuan has three immortal causes, virtue, meritorious service, and speech, and you want to make meritorious contributions, and now you have the title of the gold list, and you have fulfilled your wish, and this meritorious service is to promote the glacial theory and connive at Catholicism to confuse the world? ”

Zhang Yuan was not stunned and said: "Mr. Qidong should have seen the student's Wanyan Tingce, is the student just preaching Binghe?" Binghe said that it was only for disaster relief and famine. ”

Zhu Guozhen, the priest of the country, said: "Everyone go to the Taixue Gate to wait, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be coming soon." ”

(To be continued)