The Art of Governing Literature: The Genesis of Heavenly Schemes

Ziyang Academy.

Inside an ancient stone house, candlelight flickered dimly, illuminating the mottled stone walls.

Zhou Xun carefully held an aged manuscript in both hands, his eyes filled with nostalgia and reverence.

"Ancestor Duke Wen Zhu read widely in history, was rigorous in his scholarship, broad in his wisdom, and meticulous in his detail. He was a model for a hundred generations of the Song Dynasty."

Zhou Xun's voice was low and hoarse, carrying endless recollections.

His gaze was fixed on the Hand Scroll, piercing through the yellowed pages, as if seeing his ancestor's figure swiftly writing at his desk.

"However, due to the calamity of the 'Qingyuan Party Prohibitions,' our ancestor was impeached with 'Ten Great Crimes.' The court nobility launched an unprecedented brutal purge against the School of Principle at that time."

Speaking of this, Zhou Xun's voice trembled slightly. He paused for a moment before continuing, "Our ancestor was dismissed from office and retired under the charge of being the 'leader of False Learning,' ranking fifth on the blacklist. Some even proposed 'beheading Zhu Xi to end False Learning.'"

Recalling the past, those events seemed to merge into the pages of history. Zhou Xun was slightly emotional.

"In his old age, our ancestor's health deteriorated too quickly, his condition worsened, his life hung by a thread, his left eye went blind, and his right eye was almost completely blind."

"Yet, our ancestor, with even more vigorous energy, increased his efforts in organizing his manuscripts. His sole wish was to complete all his life's works, ensuring the continuity of the Daoist lineage."

He slowly offered the Hand Scroll to Tai Yuan, his expression solemn: "This Hand Scroll is also nameless. For these three days, all food and expenses will be arranged by this old man to be delivered on time. As this Hand Scroll holds extraordinary significance, I hope Daoist Master will forgive any inconvenience."

Tai Yuan heard this, his expression grave, and he solemnly performed a Daoist bow.

"Old Master Zhou, please rest assured."

Time flowed, flowed, and would not stop. Three days passed in a flash.

But for Tai Yuan, these three days were quite fruitful.

The so-called "art of governing literature, the beginning of planning for heaven."

In the Nameless Hand Scroll, Zhu Xi did not immediately begin by expounding his ideological concepts. It was more like a collection of casual essays, revealing a sense of ease and profundity between the lines.

It first introduced the founders of the School of Principle: the Five Masters of Northern Song, namely Shao Yong, Zhou Dunyi, Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, and Cheng Yi.

Zhu Xi, with concise and condensed brushstrokes, outlined the ideological contours of these five ancient sages, painting a spiritual portrait for them.

Zhou Dunyi was the pioneering patriarch of the Great Song School of Principle. He integrated Daoist non-action thought with Confucian moderate thought, expounding the basic concepts and ideological system of the School of Principle, including Wuji, Taiji, Yin Yang, Five Elements, movement and stillness, emphasizing stillness, utmost sincerity, freedom from desires, and benevolence.

Shao Yong was the founder of the Study of Pre-natal Numerology and Symbolism, and also made it an important content of the School of Principle's ideological system. He authored "Book of the Supreme Ultimate Governing the World," "Chapters on Observing Things, Inner and Outer," "Pre-natal Diagram," "Questions and Answers with a Fisherman," "Yichuan's Collection of Stirring and Yielding," "Plum Blossom Poems," and others.

Zhang Zai, on the other hand, developed the Monism of Qi, and was the synthesizer of ancient Celestial Dynasty's dialectical two-sided theory. His most famous Four Sayings of Hengqu are: "To establish the mind for Heaven and Earth, to secure the life for the common people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to open up peace for all generations."

Zhu Xi lamented in the book that Zhang Zai's Monism of Qi was like a great flood, breaking through the shackles of traditional thought, allowing it to roam in a broader heaven and earth.

The Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers were important representatives of the School of Principle; they laid a solid foundation for Northern Song School of Principle thought.

The Great Song School of Principle thought took Principle as the origin of all things, also called Heavenly Principle, acknowledging the changes of things. But it believed this was due to the mysterious power of Principle, and also expounded on the relationship between Heaven and Man, insisting on the proposition of Heaven and Man coexisting.

Zhu Xi wrote in the book: "The greatest principle under heaven is that there is no gap in human speech."

And Zhu Xi himself wrote that his Principle and Qi Theory was based on the Principle as Foundation Theory of the Cheng Hao brothers, and also absorbed Zhou Dunyi's Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate, Zhang Zai's Qi as Foundation Theory, and Buddhist and Daoist thoughts. The core categories of this system are "Principle" or "Dao," "Taiji."

He believed that Principle is prior to natural and social phenomena. He believed that Principle is more fundamental than Qi, and logically, Principle is prior to Qi; at the same time, Qi has variability and mobility, but Principle cannot be separated from Qi. He believed that each of the myriad things has its own Principle, but the principles of all things ultimately converge into one; this is "Taiji."

Taiji encompasses the principles of all things, and all things can distinctly manifest the entire Taiji.

This is one Taiji in heaven and earth, one Taiji in the human body, and every person and object has a complete Principle, which is Principle is One, Manifestations are Many.

And his "View on Movement and Stillness" discussed the origin of things, treating movement and stillness as an infinite continuous process. The infinite nature of space-time also explained the infinite nature of movement and stillness, and movement and stillness are inseparable.

He dialectically discussed these two forms of movement, opposition, stability, and apparent change, which he called "Bian" (change) and "Hua" (transformation).

"Movement and stillness complement each other..."

Zhu Xi's "View on Movement and Stillness" enlightened Tai Yuan.

He associated it with his own cultivation. Wasn't it also about seeking balance and breakthrough between movement and stillness? All things in the world are like this, continuously developing and evolving in the alternation of movement and stillness.

And his ideological achievement, "Preserve Heavenly Principle, Eliminate Human Desires," was later widely criticized for restricting people's freedom.

Tai Yuan found that it was not at all like that.

Zhu Xi believed that what people should eliminate are desires that exceed basic human needs, such as selfish desires, lustful desires, greedy desires, and so on.

These desires are to be abandoned.

In fact, the School of Principle believed that basic human desires, which are what people generally understand as human desires, are Heavenly Principle. Here, human desires are Heavenly Principle. A simpler explanation is that human desires must have a limit.

In fact, this already appeared in the "Book of Rites: Record of Music."

It states: "People are transformed by things. Those who destroy Heavenly Principle and indulge in human desires are poor. Thus, there are crooked and deceitful minds, and licentious and chaotic deeds. Here, 'destroying Heavenly Principle and indulging in human desires' refers to those who lose Heavenly Principle and do as they please."

Furthermore, Tai Yuan recalled that Wang Yangming later also proposed "Preserve Heavenly Principle, Eliminate Human Desires" to his disciples.

In fact, the thoughts of all sages are of the same origin, and their goals are the same; it's just that Wang Yangming achieved it through Innate Knowledge.

Tai Yuan gently closed the pages. This was Master Zhu's original manuscript; he dared not be lazy in the slightest.

He closed his eyes to rest his mind, slowly and gently rubbing his temples.

These past three days, his entire being had been immersed in this Hand Scroll, without a moment's relaxation, without sleep or rest, meticulously searching for the subtle meanings within its words.

Even with his powerful spiritual strength as an Inner Vision Grandmaster, he felt a bit dry and tired at this moment.

After this, he must try to relax his mind a bit. Cultivation also needs to be both rigorous and gentle.

Thinking of this, Tai Yuan instinctively circulated his mind and reflected upon himself.

Suddenly.

Tai Yuan's eyes tightened.

His pupils instantly contracted to the size of needlepoints.

He stared at the Nameless Hand Scroll in his hand, his eyes flickering continuously.

He had actually captured a trace of spiritual thought within it.

"Hmm?" For a moment, distracting thoughts arose in his mind.