lovenovelstory Chapter 21: Enlightenment in the 1st Dynasty
Chapter 21: Enlightenment in the 1st Dynasty
"A sage... has been born?" Zhang Zhao's consciousness fluctuated violently, and he could hardly believe it.
He quickly accessed the family information, his gaze instantly locking onto the Prefect of Hanzhong, Gongzi Jing (Zhang Jing).
On the whiteboard, Zhang Jing's information was displayed clearly—
Name: Zhang Jing
Position: Monk, Saint
School of thought: Confucianism
Knowledge: 100
Personality: Ren
The policies of the sage: governing with virtue, educating all without discrimination, and self-discipline and restoration of propriety.
Abilities of a Sage: The Legacy of Confucianism, the Presence of the Confucian Clan, and the Spread of Knowledge and Talent.
The Sage's Story: Fond of Teaching Others, Promoting Benevolent Governance, and Believing There Must Be One Who Can Teach Me.
In addition, Zhang Zhao also discovered that a Confucianism inheritance panel had been added to the knowledge inheritance panel, and the first inheritance, self-discipline and restoration of propriety, had been lit up.
[Self-discipline and adherence to propriety: Family reputation +3/year, family members' moral character +5/year]
Zhang Zhao closed the panel, opened the official gazette, and began to examine the causes and consequences of Zhang Jing's awakening as a Confucian sage.
……
That night, inside Hanzhong city.
At this moment, Zhang Jing was standing alone on the Wenshao Pavilion, the highest point in the Hanzhong Academy.
The night breeze stirred his plain-colored robes, while the academy below the stage was brightly lit, and the faint sound of bells could be heard.
The bamboo slips he held in his hands were the *Zhou Gong Yuan Gui* and *Shang Zhu*, passed down from his ancestors Zhang Zhao and Zhang Chengsi.
The bamboo slips stop at the "Zhou Gongyuan Gui: Fa Zui Pian" (周公龟·罚罪篇), which records King Wu's oath before attacking King Zhou: "Now I will respectfully carry out the punishment of Heaven..." Next to it is Zhang Zhao's text: "Punishing those who are wicked is not out of lust for killing, but to mourn the people and punish the guilty."
His gaze seemed to pierce through the bamboo slips, reaching Liangyi two hundred years ago, and the contemplative expression on his ancestor Zhang Zhao's face when he wrote "The Mandate of Heaven is not constant; only virtue is to be relied upon" in the chapter "Shepherd of the People".
Zhang Jing began to ponder: What is destiny? What is virtue? If destiny favors the virtuous, then what exactly is "virtue"? Is it overwhelming military power? Is it elaborate rituals? Or...?
The music played by the musicians of the academy became clear at this moment, with the chime bells and jade chimes playing a solemn and harmonious melody.
Zhang Jing closed his eyes slightly and listened intently. In the music, he seemed to see his ancestor Zhang Zhao in the Mingtang Hall of Haojing, working with the Duke of Zhou to deduce the rites and music.
In my mind, the jade cong representing "rites" and the large bell representing "music" gradually merged together.
Ultimately, they merged together to form a stable and vibrant picture of the "state," in which there are farmers working the land, scholars reading, and soldiers guarding the borders; all things in the world are present and none are missing.
As the music and classical texts blended together, the answer in Zhang Jing's mind gradually became clear.
The concept of "li" (礼) emphasizes not order, but the moral relationships between people and the symbiotic relationship with all things.
Music is used to harmonize the hearts of all things, to seek resonance amidst differences, and to infuse warmth into rituals.
The purpose of combining rites and music is not to highlight the authority of any one person, but to create a harmonious, orderly, and warm life full of human warmth.
Zhang Jing opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. He looked out of the palace city; the marketplace was gradually coming to life, commoners were beginning their day's work, children were playing, and vendors were hawking their wares.
He shifted his gaze from classical texts to the vibrant world around him.
"Virtue" is the "responsibility" and "benevolence" that make all of this possible and strive to uphold it.
King Wu attacked King Zhou because King Zhou had destroyed everything. The ancestors assisted King Wu in order to rebuild everything.
The so-called "reverence for Heaven and protection of the people" means that Heaven's will is reflected in the peaceful and prosperous lives of the people.
Zhang Jing stood up and walked to a high point in the palace, overlooking the entire city of Hanzhong. Moonlight bathed the city and the distant fields. He was no longer just an administrator, but more like a lookout and a thinker.
A new system of thought quietly sprouted amidst the moonlight and music, in the revisiting of ancient wisdom and the contemplation of real life.
Its core is "benevolence"—a love that extends from oneself to others, a love for all things.
Its core is "virtue"—the inner cultivation of a person; and "rites and music"—the external norms and educational means to realize "benevolence" and "virtue".
Its goal is "benevolence, peace, morality, harmony, and joy," and its ultimate aim is... the benevolent person loves others! Love one's own relatives, and extend that love to the relatives of others; love one's own children, and extend that love to the children of others.
I understand!
As soon as he settled on this idea, he suddenly had a burst of inspiration. He hurriedly walked back to the Hanzhong Academy, took out bamboo slips, and personally inscribed those insightful views that arose from the bottom of his heart!
The world does not belong to one person, but to all of humanity. Those who share the benefits of the world will gain the world; those who monopolize the benefits of the world will lose the world!
Heaven has no favorites, but only virtue guides it; the people's hearts are fickle, but only benevolence prevails.
Governing with virtue is like the North Star, which remains in its place while all the other stars revolve around it.
A virtuous person focuses on the fundamentals; when the fundamentals are established, the Way arises. Filial piety and brotherly love are the foundation of benevolence!
[Not hearing is worse than hearing; hearing is worse than seeing; seeing is worse than knowing; knowing is worse than doing. Learning ends with practice.]
[Broad and profound, it can bear all things. Lofty and bright, it can cover all things. Enduring and long-lasting, it can bring things to fruition.]
……
Before he knew it, he had been writing until dawn. Even so, he still felt unsatisfied, but a voice in his heart kept telling him: that's enough.
Although Zhang Jing was exhausted, his hands trembled with excitement as he held the bamboo slips.
……
After witnessing the entire process from the void, Zhang Zhao couldn't help but exclaim, "The Zhang family has a tiger cub!"
[Ding~ Based on the influence of the special building Shaole Palace and a profound understanding of the family classics, your descendant Zhang Jing expounded the essence of "Zhou Gong Yuan Gui" and "Shang Zhu" at Hanzhong Academy, and proposed early Confucian thought with "virtuous governance", "benevolence" and "education" as its core. He was honored as "Master Jing".]
Zhang Jingcheng achieved the "Establishment of Words" accomplishment, reaching the "Great Sage" level of prestige. He pioneered Confucianism, greatly enhancing the attractiveness and legitimacy of Liang Kingdom's culture, and his clan prestige increased by 3000!
Family traits are elevated: from a "family of etiquette and law" to a "family of sages and virtuous men (initial stage)"!
New trait effect:
①. Inheritance of the tradition: Family members' understanding of cultural doctrines increases by 30%, making it easier for them to comprehend and promote these doctrines.
② Cultural Orthodoxy: Your family is regarded as the discoverers of Confucianism, which gives you a moral advantage and makes your diplomacy and conquests more legitimate.
③ Sage Aura: The governance and education effects of the main family members are increased by 15%, and their benevolent policies are more likely to gain recognition from both inside and outside the family.
④ The will of the scholars: A large number of scholars who admired rites and music tended to join the Liang Kingdom, greatly increasing its attractiveness to talent.
Ding! You, along with Zhou Gongdan and Zhang Chengsi, have been revered as pioneers of Confucianism by the great sage Jingzi. You have received the title "Ancestor of Confucianism," and your clan reputation has increased by 5000!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"In the twentieth year of Duke Wen's reign, Jingzi attained enlightenment in Hanzhong and established his teachings, which were heard in the Shao court. The following day, he revered the Duke of Zhou, Duke Wenzhao, and Duke Si as the foremost Confucian scholars." — "Jing Lun: Foremost Confucian Scholars"