Why did Zhu Yuanzhang drive Mencius out of the Confucian Temple?

Confucianism is almost the state religion of China, and the two saints-Confucius and Mencius-are the kings of the ages, and all the imperial courts should worship them. When Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he should also ask someone to give him lectures, learn four books and listen to how Confucianism governed the country. Don't listen to the teacher. I can't listen to the teacher talking about Mencius. I flew into a rage and immediately ordered Mencius to be driven out of the Confucian temple, to cancel his rights and not to let him burn incense.

Minister Manchuria panicked. This is the second year of Hongwu. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the emperor wanted to dig the ancestral graves of Chinese culture. The world is in chaos. The emperor doesn't care if he loses the heart of scholars all over the world. However, it is not good to be used by hostile forces, is it? Everyone didn't know what to do, but Qin said a word. He pretended to be deaf and didn't know what had happened, to report the changes of the stars. He said that the stars were wrong and the satellites were dim. Does God feel uneasy?

This frightened Zhu Yuanzhang. He is not afraid of scholars or people all over the world. The hostile forces have destroyed him. However, the fear of heaven remains. He thinks that he has just become the son of heaven and is unfamiliar with God. Don't really offend God.

Mencius stayed in the Confucius Temple. However, Zhu Yuanzhang was not finished. Twenty years later, he still remembered this hatred and suddenly announced that he would ban Mencius. Four books were changed into three. It's no use Zhu Yuanzhang is the second best. You can't burn all the books. Can you cut them and copy a clean one for him? He personally went into battle, deleted 85 articles of Mencius and published a book, Mencius Festival. The four books range from Daxue, The Analects of Confucius, Mencius and The Doctrine of the Mean to Daxue, The Analects of Confucius, Mencius' Day and The Doctrine of the Mean.

The vitality of this "Mencius Festival" probably only lasted until Zhu Yuanzhang's death. After his death, the full text of Mencius was restored. In the battle with Mencius, Zhu Yuanzhang was defeated. However, in the contest with Mencius' thoughts, it can be said that Zhu Yuanzhang achieved complete success, laid the foundation of China's ruling ideology for hundreds of years, and formed the Amin and Qing systems different from those in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Tang and Song Dynasties. As the saying goes, "There is no China behind the Cliff Mountain", and China culture was suppressed not by the literate Yuan Dynasty, but by the Ming and Qing Dynasties. China culture can be divided into two parts: Confucian culture and Ming and Qing systems.

Zhu Yuanzhang deleted those 85 articles? "Mencius Festival" is not for sale now, and I haven't seen it either. I wonder if I can borrow it from the Palace Museum. But from the historical records and my own reading of Mencius, I think the following contents are unacceptable to the emperor:

Mencius said to Qi Xuanwang, "I am like a brother, then I am like a heart." If you treat me like a dog or a horse, then I will treat you like a Chinese; If you treat me like dirt, then I treat you like an enemy. "

This article is recorded in the History of Ming Dynasty. When Zhu Yuanzhang read Mencius, he saw the sentence that "the monarch regards the minister as dirt and the minister as an enemy" and said, "It is not appropriate for the minister to speak."

In Mencius' values, the relationship between monarch and minister is mutual. He is much better than Confucius. Confucius, as long as you are the king, he will respect you and his manners will be in place. You are a bad king and a tyrant. He immigrated to other countries at most. "The so-called minister should follow the Tao, and if he can't stop, he will automatically terminate the relationship between the monarch and the minister without talking to you."

Mencius, he said, "if you have something, you should remonstrate, but if you don't listen again and again, you should leave." At this point, like Confucius, it is best to go. However, the responsibility of the nobility is greater, because you bear the responsibility of the country, and we ministers with different surnames are not responsible. "If you make a big mistake, you will be remonstrated, and if you don't listen repeatedly, you will be translocated." What's more, you can abolish the monarch and set up a new one.

Further, if the tyrant is really arrogant, then everyone will punish him and make a revolution to kill him! King Hui of Liang asked Mencius, "When the king of Wu attacked Zhou, didn't he kill the king with his ministers?" ? Mencius said, "A thief is a husband. As we all know, the husband is the husband, but I have never heard of killing the king. " Don't admit that Zhou Wang is a monarch. Being a tyrant means automatic disqualification. These words of Mencius were all hated by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Now when people talk about "Confucianism", there is a saying: "The monarch tells the minister to die, and the minister has to die." However, you can't find this sentence even if you look through Confucian classics. Historian Wu Gou went to study the source of this sentence and found a lot:

The Journey to the West Wu Cheng'en: "Master, why are you up?" Pig asked. Carrying someone else's coffin and crying in your own house. Don't worry! As the saying goes:' If a minister dies, he will be unfaithful if he does not die; A father teaches his son to die, and it is unfilial for him not to die. "It's none of your business that he hurts his people!"

"The Story of the King of Qin" Ming Dynasty sage: The King of Qin said, "How can this be true! As the old saying goes, if you want to die, you will be unfaithful. A father wants his son to die, and it is unfilial for his son not to die! You officials are just Amin's assistants to my people. Bring the wine! "

The Romance of the Gods by Chen Ming Lin Zhong: Wang Wen was very unhappy when he heard it: "The son of heaven is the head of all peoples. Even if it happened, I dare not say. If I dare to be the king's fault; When the father lost, the son dared not speak and dared to correct his father's loss. So, you told me to die, not to die; The father told his son to die, but he dared not. People who are courtiers must first be loyal and filial, but dare to be loyal to your father? "

Jingjiang Baojuan in Ming and Qing Dynasties: Baoqing turned to think: "If I lead troops to rebel, I will regard loyalty as bad. This is called' if you want me to die, I have to die, and if the father wants his son to die, the son will not die'. That's all, that's all. It is better to learn from Marshal Yue Feiyue of the Song Dynasty and cultivate my good reputation as a loyal minister. "

Li Yu's Silent Play in Qing Dynasty: Bai Shun was not ashamed to change his face. He folded his hands and read Amitabha: "What have you said since ancient times:' If you die, I will die; If a father wants his son to die, so does his son. "What reason can a slave have against his master?"

Chen Qing's Rebirth: "Cough! Chita, do you know the sentence' If you tell me to die, I will die'? If you threaten at that time, you will be in heaven and in earth! You can't escape the king's control. "

In the Qing Dynasty, Hu Jiajiang: Chitose said, "As the old saying goes,' You want me to die. Have to die; The father wanted his son to die and had to die. "My Hu Jia generals have owed the country and attacked the shadow of the emperor.

Qing Gancai's Biography of Yue: Master Yue said, "Dear brother, don't say that! Since ancient times, there has been a saying that I dare not die if I want to die. You and I have both eaten Lu Jun, and this situation is real. We need to do something vigorous to make ourselves famous. "

Xue Dingshan The Journey to the West, a layman in Qing 'an, said, "Fortunately, the imperial court didn't arrest him today. Today I am called, and the kindness of my country is hard to repay. You want my minister to die, not die disloyal. "

Qing Xu Xiaotian's "The Book of Rites of the Tang Dynasty": King Jianning said to the prince: "It has never been said that if you want to die, you have to die; If a father wants his son to die, so does his son. Now, according to my brother, the son of man is condemned by his father. Without the forgiveness of his own flesh and blood, there is no fun in this world. I will go home and die! "

Master Qing Xueqiao's "Double Phoenix Romance": Zhao Jun saw Long Wen and refused to go. His eyebrows are erect and his almond eyes are wide open. He shouted, "Long Wen, you are so rude! As the saying goes:' you want to die, but you are heartless; I am immortal and heartless. " Do you want to lust after your wife and dare to disobey orders? "

"Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses" in Zhangqing Street: Wu Zixu's younger brother is still famous, and the two brothers collect books. Wu Zixu asked his brother how he was, and his brother said, "A father says that his son will die, and it is unfilial to die; You told me to die, and I won't die for disloyalty. I will listen to my father's call to be filial. "

Cai Qing and Dong Fan, Romance of the Qing Dynasty: Wu Sangui said, "Don't talk nonsense! As the saying goes,' If you want your minister to die, you must die'. Only I was a courtier of the Ming Dynasty in the first half of my life, and borrowed soldiers from the Qing Dynasty to avenge my father's great hatred. Do you still know your father?

What is the conclusion? "If you want me to die, I have to die" is a novelist's line and a script. It first appeared in novels of Ming Dynasty, but it was more common in novels and operas of Qing Dynasty. When the author of the novel mentions that "I have to die if I want to be a minister", he usually adds prefixes such as "As the saying goes", "Since ancient times" and "As the saying goes", indicating that this may be a popular saying among the people in Ming and Qing Dynasties. As for when this proverb came into being, it is impossible to verify it, but it is certain that its popularity should be related to the rise of autocratic imperial power and the infiltration of foolish loyalty in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The initiator was Zhu Yuanzhang, who created a set of autocratic imperial power that was divorced from Confucianism and the rule tradition of Tang and Song Dynasties. Therefore, China's traditional thought can be divided into two stages: Confucianism and the system of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Now many people attack the dross of Confucianism. What they attacked actually belonged to the Ming and Qing systems. Zhu Yuanzhang was the founder, and Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong carried forward. These four men are the pinnacle of China's autocracy.

"You want me to die, I have to die." Even in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a drama. Emperors in Ming and Qing dynasties killed people without paying for their lives. If you want to aggravate the crime, you must find an excuse. First of all, conceptually, let you accept that "I have to die if you want to be a minister", and then find some charges for you and forget it. So thought is very powerful, and thought can kill people.

In the history of the world, it was the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of Turkey, that really achieved "I have to die if I want to die" in law. It is the legitimate right of Sudan and the cornerstone of the Ottoman empire system, without any reason. At least there have been disputes between imperial power and relative power in China in past dynasties. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial power was completely won. In the Ottoman Empire, the right of phase never existed, and the prime minister didn't even have the right to exist. He borrowed his head from Sudan and returned it unconditionally at any time.

One more thing: "The whole world is not a king's land. Territory, is it a king? " This is from the Book of Songs, so all the property in the world belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are slaves. Was it decided by the Zhou Dynasty? Jun Jian Xian Xi, in case of Cai Yong's death. /p & gt；

Xian said, "If Shun doesn't listen to Yao, I'll take it myself." Poetry "said,' all over the world, is it the land of kings? It is not Minister Wang who leads the literati coast. "Since Shun is the son of heaven, why don't you ask him if he is a minister?" Yue: "It's a poem, but it doesn't mean that. Working for the king instead of adopting parents. Said, "isn't this the king's business?" I am the only one who can do it. "

Xian Qiumeng said, "Shun doesn't take Yao as his minister. I understand this truth. However, the Book of Songs says:' Is it the land of kings all over the world? It is not Minister Wang who leads the literati coast. "Since shun has become the son of heaven, you are not his subjects. What is the reason? "

This question is crucial, because "is the whole world a land of kings?" Isn't it a king to lead the literati coast? "This poem, which we have learned in history class in middle school, is the most overbearing sentence in China's ancient centralized and autocratic society, and it is also the key cultural gene that China people have never guaranteed property rights. There is not a piece of land in the world that is not the land of the son of heaven, and there is not a person who is not a subject of the son of heaven, so that all the property in the world, everyone's life and property, can be taken away by the son of heaven.

Mencius said, "This poem doesn't mean that at all! It was taken out of context. This poem was written by a courtier who worked for the king. What he means is that nothing is not the son of heaven. Why do I have to do everything? I have parents to take care of! "

This poem is from The Book of Songs? 6? Xiaoya? 6? What is the wind in the valley? 6? Beishan ",the original text is:

Looking at Beishan, take it; Working with scholars day and night; Is the king in trouble? (g incarnation), worried about parents.

Under the sky, is it not the land of kings? Territory, is it Wang Chen? There are different doctors, and I am engaged in unique talents.

Four horses Pumbaa, the king looked on; I am not old, I will be fresh; The brigade is powerful and fights in all directions.

Or Yan Yan lives in the interests, or does his best to die; Or in bed, or in line.

Or I don't know the call number, or I'm miserable. Or live late to suppress poplar, or Zhang.

Or drink, or fear; Either in the wind or out of the wind, or do nothing.

Translation:

Climb the North Mountain to pick Lycium barbarum. A robust scholar. Do things in the morning and evening. If the errand is not finished, who will serve the parents?

The whole world is a land of kings. Within the four seas, all princes. Doctors are always unfairly assigned, and jobs are always given to me!

The carriage ran wildly and the king was in a hurry. Praise me for being strong. Strong, energetic and diligent.

Some people sit comfortably at home, while others are king with all their heart. Some people lie on their backs, while others are in a hurry.

Some people don't respond to the call, and some people are very tired and troubled. Some people had a good time and slept soundly, while others worked hard.

Some people like to drink, while others are afraid of being accused. Some people talk nonsense, while others do everything.

Therefore, we can see that the so-called "land where the world is not king" originally means that everything is a public matter, not my family's; Is it Wang Chen who leads the land? The original intention is that everyone is holding the national salary and doing everything for me alone! The original intention of the poem has nothing to do with the emperor's property rights and unlimited power, but this sentence has almost become the cultural gene and theoretical basis of the centralized monarchy in ancient China.

Confucian concept of monarch and minister, let's listen to Mencius' values of being an official:

What kind of courtiers should you be? Mencius divided officials into four grades. These four grades have different personalities and values, so their occupations are also different.

"Mencius said," If there is a gentleman, let him be. There are officials in the country, and the country is happy; Those who have heaven can achieve what is feasible in the world and then do it; If there are adults, those who are right are also right. "

The lowest level is to personally serve the monarch.

Politics is personal, and behind political decision-making, the personal needs and interests of decision-makers are often the first.

This kind of people deeply realize and firmly grasp this point. They also want what you think, worry about what you are anxious about, do what you want, do their best, and go all out to please you. However, they can focus on pleasing the monarch, whether it is good or bad for the country. If the monarch does something wrong, flatter him, trap him, and give him an excuse. If the monarch wants to do something bad, but he doesn't have the courage to do it, please him first and encourage him to do it, lest he can't do what he likes. Such people only want to curry favor with and keep their position. As for the success or failure of Junde and the disorder of state affairs, he doesn't care at all. They often "succeed" because they are focused and have no bottom line.

Mencius criticized before: "Today's doctors are evil kings." This is the difference between "the evil of a long monarch" and "the evil of every monarch". What is the evil of a long monarch? You already have it, so you can't remonstrate any more, which will encourage his evil. To make matters worse, you have been immature and want to do bad things, but you can't do it now because you have a conscience and know it's wrong. At this time, you thoughtfully make up a theory, explain it to him, and let him rest assured to do it. This is to please him, send him astray and meet the evil of the monarch.

Those who take serving the personal interests of the monarch as their profession will eventually go to the evil of the monarch.

The person who is higher than the sovereign minister is the minister of the country. He is not the minister of the monarch, but the minister of the country, taking the country as his career. The matter of the villain, please its meaning, and the plan of the minister's security, worry about this as soon as possible, and can't forget it.

Zhang said to me, I like you, for myself and for wealth. I am in peace with the world, seeking the country and the name. Seek the minister of the country, correct the king, protect the virtue of the king, and protect the prosperity of the country; The second is to help the weak and the poor, so that the people will not waver and the foundation of the country will be built on consolidation. Take care of your own safety, resolve big doubts, overcome big difficulties, work hard and take care of your own interests. Seek possibilities, strive for success and avoid obstacles. Do your best. As soon as possible, only national security is the picture, and national security is the security of the heart. Just like a little person, he can't relax for a moment. His ambition lies in fame, his focus lies in serving the country, and wealth is not enough to tire him.

Mencius said that the minister of a country is honest and upright, but his pattern must be that of a country, and there is a higher level called "Tian Min". The people are called the people without officials. Tian Min is a nation that can do anything fairly. He has a high character and a sense of responsibility. Of course, he also wants to make great achievements. However, due to his heavy heart, if he can't do something, he will not be in his eyes if it is not time to promote Tao and rules. He would rather study in seclusion than take part in politics, and he will not regret it.

The people of heaven, the people of heaven, not the people of one country and one monarch, will do their best to surprise them. If he can't do everything in heaven, he won't participate. His character is even higher than that of a country's minister.

However, the people of Heaven are not the best. Why? Although the people in heaven want to take Daoji as the world, they will do their best, but after all, they still have to care about whether they can get out of the mountain. There is a class at the top, called "adult". What is an adult? A big and refined person is an adult. It is not carelessness to make it bigger, but the greatness of its way, which has educated and educated the whole world. Great people's cultivation of monasticism is only a self-righteous thing, while virtue can transform a person into a god and influence him quickly, without irony and discussion, let alone prohibition. His work is in the country, but he has not worked hard for the country; His sword and halberd are all over the world, but he has no intention of hiding. This is the adult who is big and big!

My Lord, he is a man who corrects himself. Everything in the world, up and down, is corrected with him!

Autocratic monarchs and institutions need the personal attachment of courtiers and unconditional loyalty to monarchs. Mencius, on the other hand, ranked the ministers of the monarch as the lowest, saying that they would slip into the evil of meeting the monarch. Even the minister of the country has an independent personality, but as the minister of the king, his rank is not high. Mencius wanted to be a citizen and an adult. Zhu Yuanzhang doesn't hate him! Zhu Yuanzhang combatively scolded: "Why don't you forgive this old man (Mencius) today!"

Mencius never considered himself a vassal of anyone. His dream is to give up the world, and I want to create the "Mencius era":

Mencius went to Qi State. Yu Chong insolently asked, "Master, if you are not prepared. The day before yesterday, I heard the masters say,' A gentleman doesn't complain about heaven or care about people.' "Yue:" At that time, at this time. Within 500 years, there will be kings and celebrities. He is over 700 years old since last week. There are too many to count, but the exam was still ok at that time. Heaven, not to rule the world; If you want to rule the world, who can you give me? Why am I not ready? "

When Mencius left Qi, he was probably not in high spirits all the way. Disciple Yu Chong asked, "Does the teacher look unhappy? I heard from the teacher before that a gentleman is self-sufficient, that is, he endures heaven without complaining about it; Not suitable for people, not particularly suitable for people Now the teacher is unhappy and seems a little disgusted. "

Mencius said, "This time is another time." Don't complain, don't complain, these two sentences are the words of Confucius that I usually read. I didn't come out to do things at first, but I studied at home, and the benevolent was happy. Now I hope I can do the right thing and help the world and people, but if I can't show it all the time, I will be afraid of fate, I will feel sorry for the people, and my heart will naturally be heavy. This is not complaining, this is pity.

"Why am I unhappy? In this era of great change, without finding a merciful Lord, my Tao can't work, and some can't escape. Maybe it's really a rare sage! However, it is time! I heard that in 500 years, a saint will rise and a famous person will help him! It has been more than 700 years since the Zhou Dynasty. In terms of years, it has exceeded 500. On the current situation, it is the time when the world is in chaos and thinking about governance. I searched and found a king of Qi. I felt that his national strength and unbearable heart were good enough, but he left without a chance. Of course, I felt lost in my heart!

"I think this is the arrangement of heaven! Maybe God hasn't tried to rule the world yet. If you want to rule the world, I don't know who the benevolent Lord will come out after 500 years, but the only one who can help him make a name for himself in today's world is me! What am I unhappy about? "

Celebrities, also known as people in the order world, are connected to name the world, and people in an era can name it, such as the Deng Xiaoping era, that is, celebrities. Mencius wants to create the era of Mencius, and it is his ambition to ignore me.

The most basic value of Confucianism is to find a wise monarch to do his own thing, and never thought of listening to the monarch. In the Confucian self-orientation, my core responsibilities are two: one is to help the world and the people, the other is to correct the king, and the king listens to me. How can I listen to the king? I listened to the monarch, so I became a slave and a villain.

The emperor wants legalism and the bureaucratic class wants Confucianism. This is a pair of balance, which is the basic principle and mechanism of Confucianism as the cultural gene of China. Politically, the separation and checks and balances between imperial power and relative power have also formed. From Zhu Yuanzhang's challenge to this balance to the formation of imperial power in Kang Yong, the Confucian character declined, and the Four Books and Five Classics still existed, but the novels and operas were more grounded. The emperor crossed the bureaucratic class and intellectuals, contacted the masses, created a folk neo-Confucianism serving the imperial power, and defeated the Confucian orthodoxy.

Mencius said, "I am good at nurturing my noble spirit." After Zhu Yuanzhang destroyed Meng, China entered the slave age of Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the ministers of the people became more and more afraid to go out, forming a new three-character classic:

I'm here!