Lu Benzhong's eyes were blank, as if he was dizzy by the spherical shape of the sun and the big earth, and their rotation and revolution.
However, his father Lu Haowen sighed after hearing what Zhao Jiu said, gave up thinking about the two balls and went straight to the point: "Then may I ask the emperor, whether it is the way of heaven or the principle of heaven (the basic laws and truths of the operation of the universe), how can it be reflected in people? How can people obtain the principle of heaven?"
"Human beings are things," Zhao Jiuqing knew he had come to the crux of the matter, but he still answered with a stiff upper lip. "Things carry the laws of nature."
"So that's what you say." Lu Haowen finally laughed. "Everything is based on the laws of nature, right?"
"That's exactly what I mean!" Zhao Jiu threw down the empty cup in his hand and slammed the table in response. "So we must study things to gain knowledge, and study all things to gain insight into the principles of heaven!"
Lu Haowen opened his mouth to speak, but was a little dazed for a moment, because it sounded as if he really connected people, things and the principles of heaven? And the reason why they were connected was that at the beginning, Emperor Zhao divided Hu Anguo's general "qi" into the principles of heaven and all things, stripping all things from the originally chaotic concept of the principles of heaven.
Lu Haowen was dumbfounded. He spoke after a long while, but with more caution and seriousness: "Sir... If this is the case, this person is also a creature and also carries the laws of nature. Then what about human morality? Why do some people not follow morality?"
"Morality is that people are born with desires, and desires naturally follow the laws of nature. However, humans are the most intelligent creatures in the world, and they are born against the will of heaven. They are unstable, so sometimes they have excessive desires, or their desires are too shallow, which goes against the laws of nature. At this time, we must study things to gain knowledge, fundamentally understand what the laws of nature are, and then guide desires. This is the so-called unique learning of the ancient sages, so we must follow human desires and distinguish the laws of nature..." Zhao Jiu gritted his teeth and talked nonsense, but the more he talked, the more afraid he became. "In fact, I don't know how this person is, but Mr. Lu, after all I have said for a long time, it is better than Hu Anguo's "qi", right? Just tell me if it can be connected with the new learning? I think it can be done, right?"
There was already a hint of pleading in Emperor Zhao's words, but Lu Haowen was stunned and speechless. He stood there for a long time with his hands behind his back. He wanted to speak several times, but in the end he couldn't.
Besides, he had been with this official for so long, how could he not know what level of Confucianism this official had? It was certainly true that he had been "studying" for a few months... But the problem was, the "heavenly principles" that he had "studied" out of, did their logic seem to make sense? It seemed that he had really forced people to connect with the heavenly principles? Moreover, this thing about following human desires and distinguishing heavenly principles, although the official had run out of words, seemed to have some feeling, and it also barely had something to do with utilitarianism?
There is no doubt that the natural law created by Emperor Zhao must have a lot of loopholes in it.
But the problem is, this connection between the principles of Heaven carried on the things of Heaven, and then using human nature to gain knowledge of things to pursue the principles of Heaven, seems to be much stronger than those of the trendy Neo-Confucianists and Taoists like Hu Anguo...and what is even more difficult for Lu Haowen to accept is that he, Lu Haowen, has also been a Taoist and Neo-Confucianist for decades, and his level of understanding of the principles of Heaven is not as good as Hu Anguo's. As a result, this official spent two months studying and came up with something that he could not figure out for most of his life (although he might not approve of it). What's going on?
"How did the emperor come up with these ideas?" Lu Haowen remained silent, but his son Lu Benzhong couldn't help but suddenly asked.
"I found it by studying things to gain knowledge." Zhao Jiu, with a mouth full of alcohol, forced himself to answer, and then looked at Lu Hao eagerly to change the subject. "Mr. Lu, what you and your son have mended today is this 'heavenly principle'. Just tell me, are you willing to sew it for me? For such a thing, I have tried my best, and it was very hard!"
Lu Haowen stared at Emperor Zhao, whose mouth was full of alcohol, and still couldn't accept it... He couldn't accept the other party's attitude towards justice.
"If you don't want to, then it will be Lü Benzhong!" Zhao Jiu finally lost his temper. "If he doesn't want to, then it will be your second son, Lü Youzhong! If your whole family doesn't want to, I will just imprison you at home, and then publish an article in your name in the official newspaper to explain this heavenly principle! You and your son will have to do this, whether you want to or not!"
"I am willing." Half a day after the ultimatum, Lu Haowen finally spoke tremblingly. "But if the investigation of things reveals the true principles of heaven, the emperor will have to allow me to change..."
Zhao Jiu felt relieved, and was about to stand up to shake hands with his old partner, but he felt dizzy as soon as he stood up... It seems that Emperor Zhao drank too much courage-boosting wine today.
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