"Am I that kind of person? Did you come to my house just to say this?" Feng Congwu glared at Zhang Yu and asked loudly.
His eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and he looked like he was about to see the guest off.
Song Yingsheng and Song Yingxing on the side were dumbfounded. No one expected that Zhang Yu would adopt such an aggressive attitude right from the start.
You know, although the three of them didn't come here to ask for help, they should be at least a little nicer when they come to someone else's house, right?
After all, they were here to unite. But Zhang Yu's current behavior gave people the feeling that he was here to make enemies!
Zhang Yu remained unmoved and unfazed. With a peaceful smile on his face, he said, "It is precisely because I believe you are not that kind of person that I am telling you these things."
"What we must do is be loyal to the emperor and serve our country, and uphold justice, not vent our anger or seek fame by being direct. Now that the Ming Dynasty is at a critical juncture, we can no longer offer direct advice; we need some strategy and a roundabout way."
"There are many mediocre people in the court, and many who have been promoted by luck. If such people were to take charge of the Ming Dynasty, one can only imagine what the future of the Ming Dynasty would be like. At a time like this, we must not act on our momentary pleasure and disregard justice and the Ming Dynasty!"
Feng Congwu looked at Zhang Yu and knew that although this guy spoke lightly, his words were not entirely untrue.
Although there are such people in the court, not everyone is like this; the current situation is not about what the ministers want, but how to change the emperor's opinion.
However, Feng Congwu could tell that Zhang Yu had a hidden agenda, so he slowly sat back down, softened his expression, and asked, "So, what do you have in mind?"
"Currently, Xu Guangqi, a proponent of the School of Mind, sits at the imperial court. Alongside him are Li Zhizao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Shen Tingyun, the Minister of Rites. These three hold the throne and enjoy the emperor's deep trust. Their positions are entrenched, and while they haven't been in power long, they won't be easily shaken."
"Besides, Huang Kezun of the Ministry of Justice is unique in bringing up Xunzi today. I believe that before long, a group of people will gather around him, forming the second force in the court."
"As for the third faction, on the surface it appears to be the Prime Minister Han Yu and the Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong. But in reality, we all know that Han Yu and Sun Chengzong are not of the same kind. There's also the Minister of Works, Zhao Nanxing. These three people can barely be considered on the same side, but their hearts are not on the same page."
"The main force in the court right now is Xu Guangqi and his group. Besides them, there will probably be Huang Kezun's group as well. At this time, a new round of changes in the court is probably about to begin."
Glancing at Zhang Yu, Feng Congwu said, "I am only a fifth-rank Shangbaoqing, and you are only Juren. What qualifications do you have to comment on the people in the court? You don't even have the means to influence them."
"Just because there wasn't one before doesn't mean there won't be one in the future," Zhang Yu said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Feng Congwu looked at Zhang Yu. This time his expression finally became serious, waiting for Zhang Yu to give him an answer.
Feng Congwu could see that Zhang Yu came here with something to say.
Zhang Yu did not hide anything and directly told them everything about Han Yu's visit to him and the two Song brothers.
After hearing these words, Feng Congwu fell into deep thought, and the expression on his face was unclear whether it was gloomy or excited, giving people a very complicated feeling.
After a long while, Feng Congwu raised his head and looked at Zhang Yu, and asked dryly, "What does this have to do with me?"
"The court is in turmoil, with each school promoting its own doctrine. At this moment, it's like sailing against the current; if we don't advance, we'll retreat. If we, the Guanzhong clan, don't take action now, we'll soon be reduced to dust." Zhang Yu looked at Feng Congwu and said bluntly, "When that time comes, where will we go?"
Feng Congwu naturally had this concern as well.
He is considered a representative figure of the Guanzhong lineage, and he has profound attainments in both Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind, which proves that he is an inclusive person.
Feng Congwu looked at Zhang Yu but did not ask any questions because he knew Zhang Yu had not finished speaking.
"So now, it's time for us to act, and it's also time for a major change," Zhang Yu continued. "Our Confucianism has always been inclusive. If that's the case, why can't we create a new school of thought?"
"We youngsters don't have the qualifications, but you've been teaching in Guanzhong for over twenty years, with students and friends all over the country. You're highly respected among scholars. Why can't you establish a new school of thought?"
"We can combine the strengths of various schools, taking the Guanzhong lineage as the foundation, and combine it with the needs of the current court to create a new school of thought; with Han Yu, the chief minister of the cabinet, as the external support of the court. When the time comes, we will have a seat at the court."
"Only then can we truly change everything in the court, rather than just venting our anger by writing memorials like we are doing now. This is also the purpose of our visit today. The inheritance of the Guanzhong lineage depends entirely on your words."
Feng Congwu looked at Zhang Yu and fell into deep thought.
It would be a lie to say that he wasn't tempted.
In fact, Feng Congwu did not have any school of thought. He studied both Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind. When he said he was a member of the Donglin Party, he only agreed with the Donglin Party's thoughts and ideas.
The Donglin Party could not even be considered a school of thought, so after hearing what Zhang Yu said, Feng Congwu was really tempted.
When you think about the twenty-five years you have spent teaching in Guanzhong, and then think about your current status, are you willing to accept this?
Now I am only a fifth-rank Shang Baoqing. What can I do? Can I be worthy of what I have learned in my life?
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