For scholars of the Ming Dynasty, it seemed that such a disgraceful act was about to happen again. However, they seemed to have become accustomed to it, and many things, even if they did happen, were not surprising to them.
The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were destined not to rule the country together with the scholar-officials. For scholars to dream of returning to the exalted status of the Song Dynasty was simply a pipe dream. Not to mention the emperor, even the military officers would likely not agree.
However, for many scholars at this moment, another major case is about to occur, and its impact can be said to be far-reaching.
Whether it was the case of the Empty Seal or the case of Hu Weiyong, those cases seemed to be merely the emperor consolidating his rule. In reality, those cases were all aimed at officials and had little to do with scholars and intellectuals, who were actually quite safe.
But things are different now. The case that is about to unfold could very well affect the status of many students.
Emperor Hongwu did indeed issue an edict forbidding scholars from discussing state affairs. Even if many disagreed, they could only silently accept it in the face of imperial power. At least when facing Emperor Hongwu, those scholars could only hide their dissatisfaction and dared not express it too much.
The reason for this is quite simple: although the Yuan Dynasty did not allow some scholars from the south to serve as high-ranking officials, its control over grassroots society was quite poor, which could be considered as delegating power to some landlords and scholars.
Whether it's out of fear or contempt for scholars, the ultimate reason for forbidding some scholars from discussing politics is to consolidate rule.
From Zhu De's establishment of the eight-legged essay, it can be seen that he wanted to restrict the thinking of some scholars.
During the Song Dynasty, academy education was highly developed, and literati were very enthusiastic about participating in politics. Groups centered around students of the Imperial Academy often launched public opinion movements when the government was corrupt and the country was in danger. These movements mainly took the form of petitions at the palace gates and submitting memorials to the emperor.
This seemed effective, but Zhu Yuanzhang had already established some systems at the beginning of the dynasty. He actually recognized the role of public opinion, so at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, he reformed the channels for public opinion and established many systems for making suggestions to ensure that the people's sentiments were conveyed.
Under such circumstances, scholars should simply focus on their studies and have no need to participate in political discussions. The Ming Dynasty already had a system of censors; scholars participating in it would only cause them trouble.
The reason why scholars were forbidden from discussing politics was because these people could be considered potential officials. If they started discussing politics too early, or if they formed a faction, it would naturally lead to factional strife.
Moreover, if one is even more cautious, any rumors or gossip could easily become a hot topic of discussion in the government and among the people. One person could initiate it, and millions could follow suit, causing the entire nation to go on a frenzy. It could even have a dramatic effect, turning right and wrong upside down.
Therefore, controlling public opinion is extremely important, and in this day and age, public opinion is largely controlled by the landlord class and intellectuals.
Old Zhu naturally did not want to see such a thing happen, and Zhu Yunying actually did not want such a thing to happen either.
The formation of literary societies has become a popular trend, and this trend actually existed in earlier years.
For example, in the second year of the Hongwu reign, Song Lian was ordered to compile the "History of Yuan," and dozens of people, all outstanding talents from all over the country, participated in the writing. In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Song Lian, along with Zhang Ding, his second son Song Sui, Xiong Ding, Liu Song, Zhou Ziliang, Lü Zhongshan, and others, met at Chengdu University to enjoy tea and compose poems together.
It could even be said that Zhu Yuanzhang was the driving force behind the trend of banquets. He once ordered the Ministry of Works to build ten restaurants outside Jiangdong Gate, and then added five more. He also issued an edict to bestow paper money upon civil and military officials and ordered a banquet to be held at Zuixianlou.
However, such banquets were basically just exchanges of poems. There were exchanges of poems in both the public and private spheres, though they were not particularly prosperous and had not formed a stable or standardized association.
The gatherings of this period laid the foundation for the style of literary gatherings and poetry recitals in the following period. Not only did the recitals in the public sphere mainly praise the peace and prosperity, but the literary gatherings in the private sphere were also subject to ideological constraints.
With further development, such gatherings have become more frequent, but many literati have become more creative in their thinking.
For example, the societies formed by scholars with the aim of passing the imperial examinations were much more realistic and utilitarian than poetry and prose societies or retirement clubs. Of course, they were also much more tedious and professional, and by no means elegant or romantic.
Nowadays, scholars, while studying for the imperial examinations, also engage in poetry and prose exchanges to alleviate the pain of pondering all day long, which often leads to poetry and prose societies and examination societies being mixed together.
Of course, there were occasional singing, dancing, and banquets, which seemed to add a touch of elegance. But more often, however, there were trends that the emperor was not pleased to see.
For example, literary societies have never been limited to discussing romance and nature; the vast majority of their discussions revolve around politics, with members expressing their opinions on the development of the world. Some sought to attract the attention of important figures by sharing their views, while others spoke out against certain political actions of the court.
This was clearly not good, and Zhu Yunying certainly didn't want to see such a thing happen. The Donglin Party members at the end of the Ming Dynasty, besides their empty talk that harmed the country, were all masters at instigating factional strife.
The Northern Song Dynasty goes without saying. Although the Donglin Party didn't exist then, there was still significant factional strife. These are all bad examples, and we must learn from the past to guide the future. Zhu Yunying certainly needed to be vigilant.
Huang Zicheng and Fang Xiaoru were arrested and imprisoned. The Emperor's secret police firmly controlled the Imperial Academy, and the agents of the Eastern Depot were thoroughly investigated.
For a time, people were filled with panic. Many felt it was absurd, and some were even disheartened, thinking that the Ming Dynasty was beyond saving and that it was treating scholars in such a way.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
