Chapter 2029 - Daoist Cui Discusses Dao
"Secondly, 'Dao' is employed by Laozi to explicate the origin, ontology, laws, principles, realm, and ultimate truth of the universe. 'The Dao follows nature' signifies the Dao models itself after or follows nature—meaning the operational principles of all phenomena follow natural laws. The word optimally expressing 'Dao' constitutes natural law. Similarly, conversely, the term closest to the natural laws we reference here is 'Dao.' This encompasses the Dao of nature, the Dao of society, and the Dao of humanity. The Dao represents the law by which heaven, earth, and all phenomena operate. Virtue (De) constitutes the worldly rule human society should commonly follow as projection of Heaven's Dao! This constitutes so-called Daode (Morality)..."
Cui Hantang spoke extravagantly, celestial blossoms descending. Unfortunately, beyond Li Qiushui and several others listening with keen interest, several tongsheng-origin attendees comprehended nothing whatsoever, capable only of casual echoing: "The Superior Master speaks brilliantly."
Following this extravagant preaching, Daoist disciples served tea and refreshments, and everyone rested and conversed. The tea and refreshments here possessed considerable renown. Initially, some scholars actually attended solely for these—after all, for them, the Zhang family's "Australian-style tea and refreshments" proved not particularly affordable.
Nominally "resting," it actually constituted a "current affairs lecture." As the ancient maxim holds: women and politics represent topics men most love discussing. For these scholars, discussing women proved somewhat "unbecoming of refinement," consequently "current affairs" became the most common topic during intervals. Cui Hantang likewise intentionally steered toward this, partly to broaden these "actively seeking progress" scholars' horizons, partly as "brainwashing."
Recently, primary discussion focused on roving bandits within the nation. Honestly, since roving bandits originated in Shaanxi at Tianqi's conclusion, their influence had expanded across seven or eight years. Recently they even directly captured Fengyang and incinerated the Ming Imperial Ancestral Tomb, shocking the realm. Yet for these lower-stratum scholars who had inhabited Guangdong throughout their lives, never traveling extensively, it represented another world's affair. Some, like Zeng Juan and others previously, had perused Australian magazines and possessed modest knowledge, yet most knew nothing regarding these roving bandits' sequence of events. Cui Hantang commenced from Wang Er's rebellion in Chengcheng, Shaanxi during Tianqi's seventh year, third month, proceeding to the famine rebellions of Wang Jiayin, Wang Daliang, Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong and others in Tianqi's eighth year; continuing to "appeasement as primary, suppression as secondary" under Three Borders Governor-General Yang He, achieving temporary pacification through flexible tactics; then to the union of various "camp leaders" commencing Chongzhen's fourth year, forming the "Thirty-six Battalions"... Encompassing everything meticulously, he discoursed daily. Fortunately Cui Hantang represented a storytelling enthusiast; he could actually narrate this chaotic accumulation of events with meticulous detail and lucid logic, attracting everyone to listen as though attending storytelling sessions—experiencing discomfort if missing a single day.
On this particular day, Cui Hantang discoursed broadly again. Naturally, he did not entirely "narrate tales"; he more precisely guided scholars to "contemplate problems." And this contemplation could not prove excessively shallow; one could not simply analyze with dualism like "dim rulers and corrupt officials." It required greater depth.
Naturally, this requirement proved somewhat elevated for them, yet Cui Hantang believed it presented no excessive difficulty—provided they perused additional background materials, they would naturally cultivate material analysis capability. As for background materials, abundant supplies existed in the library he operated here.
Based upon his elevated discourse, everyone commenced enthusiastic discussion. Discussion content ranged from court administration gains and losses, peasant army strategic movements, to considerations and specific actions across the court's several suppression and appeasement campaigns—nothing remained off-limits. Cui Hantang had satiated himself on papers and monographs; casually retrieving various viewpoints and data, he could effortlessly produce numerous structured arguments, naturally causing scholars to regard him with renewed eyes.
Waiting until spittle had been sprayed and tea refilled repeatedly, Li Qiushui finally could not restrain interjecting to inquire: "Last occasion the Daoist Master proclaimed 'The Ming Chongzhen Emperor will sooner or later suffer harm from roving bandits'—constituted that casual utterance or words divined from heavenly secrets?"
At these words, scholars all manifested expressions of concern.
Actually, that pronouncement represented something Cui Hantang had accidentally revealed previously—such "heavenly secrets" he generally deigned revealing only to individuals of Li Suiqiu's caliber; Li Qiushui and others genuinely could not enjoy it. Yet since uttered, no necessity existed for concealment. As commoners who until recently existed under Ming governance, concern for this issue represented natural course. Moreover, many constituted xiucai who had passed Ming examinations; though now intending defection to the Hair-Thieves, they still harbored some affection for this "former dynasty and homeland" in their hearts, unwilling to witness its destruction thus.
Cui Hantang recognized these Confucian scholars still oriented their hearts toward Ming, considering he might as well administer potent medicine to sever their longings. Consequently he closed his eyes and remained silent, solely counting upon his fingers. After prolonged interval, he pronounced: "In the year of Jiaxu, blood rained in Haifeng, earth quaked in Yingtian, and a star fell in Datong—the intent of Ming's fortune has already gradually collapsed. On the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month this year, Mars shall trespass upon Taiwei, a sign of the sovereign forfeiting his throne. The Chongzhen Emperor has issued a Penitential Edict to calm popular hearts, yet the Great Ming already lingers upon its final breath. If my prediction errs not, within ten years maximum, the Great Ming and the Chongzhen Emperor will certainly encounter unspeakable events!"
"What?" At these words, everyone paled with shock. One lost his voice: "Impossible! Our Emperor has reigned eight years, abstaining from music and women, diligent and apprehensive, exhausting his heart in governance. How could such an ending transpire?" Before finishing, his mouth was covered by the adjacent person. Someone groaned internally: This constitutes seeking death! Where exists "Our Emperor"? Your Emperor represents the Great Song's Emperor!
Li Qiushui's complexion transformed drastically, and he cupped hands toward Cui Hantang: "Brother Yang's words proved unintentional, Daoist Master please refrain from blame..."
The others, reacting, likewise broke into cold perspiration, apologizing successively—the Australians proved equally unhesitating regarding execution!
Cui Hantang waved his hand indicating no harm sustained, recognizing reversing their faith in brief duration would prove quite challenging. A mocking expression appeared at his mouth's corner as he laughed: "'Our Emperor'? Haha, contemporary Guangzhou indeed constitutes my Great Song's territory. Fine, let us refrain from discussing that. Speaking of when Chongzhen succeeded to the throne, official factionalism had already formed, wilderness resources consumed, state laws broken, frontier chaos extreme. Though Chongzhen determined to commence anew and verify names and realities, regarding talent worthiness, argument rights and wrongs, policy merits, and military strategy successes, he could neither perceive them clearly within, nor remain unswayed without. Moreover, his nature proved suspicious and he relied upon scrutiny; he preferred severity and valued spirit. Relying upon scrutiny generates harshness and grace deficiency; valuing spirit generates haste and error. When bandits filled mountains and four directions boiled over, those entrusted with governmental authority proved either mediocre or sycophantic, vacillating between suppression and appeasement without fixed planning. Ministers inside and outside could not even preserve themselves from blame; everyone harbored hearts seeking profit and self-preservation. Those whose speech proved honest and direct, addressing matters' ills, were all broken and expelled. Those appointed as commanders had their authority checked from the center; merits could not compensate for faults. Defeat in one region meant executing a general; one city's fall meant killing an official. Rewards and punishments proved so excessive that punishment became impossible; control proved so strict that control became impossible. Added to this were prevailing natural disasters, repeated famines, complex administration and heavy taxation, internal strife and external rebellion. Like a human body, vital energy exhausted, ulcers and poisons erupting simultaneously, the disease already critical, yet physicians haphazardly administered medicine, mixing cold and heat indiscriminately—the disease entered vital organs, incurable. What could await but destruction?"
Cui Hantang recited the History of Ming's final Chongzhen verdict in single breath. Observing everyone dumbfounded and speechless, he recognized excessive stimulation proved unwise.
Consequently he immediately consoled them: "Gentlemen all constitute heroes of the age; you should comprehend the principle that 'good birds select wood to roost, wise ministers choose masters to serve.' The Ming state acts perversely, the world's living souls plunge into misery; the current situation's transformation constitutes not one individual's fault. Generally in worldly affairs, participants prove confused, while observers remain clear. The Northern Barbarians have usurped and stolen the Central Plains for numerous years; their evil accumulates and disaster overflows, reaching scorching corruption. Moreover, the Ming state proves benighted and deceitful, abandoned by Blue Heaven; the populace is displaced, roving bandits cause calamity, governmental troops harm people, starving corpses fill the wilderness. Generals defending against bandits receive blame at every juncture, suffering lingchi execution, their heads suspended in Gaojie. Scholar selection must traverse the Eight-Legged Essay, and officials must peruse the Four Books; consequently, ministers holding power must advance through the Eight-Legged Essay. Yet their national governance talent actually proves mediocre. The court's clear stream must originate from Donglin; Donglin's affairs handling relies entirely upon 'mouth cannons.' That Ming state has reached today's destruction certainly constitutes not the sovereign and ministers' crime alone; it results from adherence to established regulations without comprehending flexibility."
"At this juncture, my Great Song receives mandate from Heaven's Dao, rising again in the South Sea, removing antiquated governance, adapting to the times, instituting new policies, governing diligently with worldly ambition. All laborers possess remuneration for their toil, and people harbor no concern of freezing or starvation—who proves superior and who inferior stands transparently evident. Gentlemen possessing hearts to establish meritorious careers, and intentions to benefit your native localities, should forsake darkness and join illumination, encouraging excellent planning promptly—upwards to protect your households, downwards to preserve your lives, resolving popular hanging distress, leaving commendable reputation for a hundred generations. I have spoken my fill today; I hope you gentlemen ponder it carefully!"
Cui Hantang's barrage of "empty discourse" transparently awed these scholars, each gesturing solemn instruction. It substantially satisfied Cui Hantang's vanity: he had again painted a layer of "Heavenly Will" onto the Council of Elders and himself. The sole regret was that identical "empty discourse" had not generated substantial effect before Li Suiqiu.
Following the rest's conclusion, he continued his Daoist magical lecture. Cui Hantang performed exceptionally today. He first articulated theory regarding exploring Heaven and Earth's Great Dao, declaring that Daoism must not merely cultivate body and nature to discover the original heart's true thusness, termed Cultivating Truth (Xiuzhen); but likewise study supreme principles of heaven and earth's operation, exploring all phenomena's generation truth, termed Seeking the Dao. Cui Hantang declared the all-knowing prove all-powerful; the more supreme principles of heaven and earth a mortal comprehends, the greater capability they master. Should one master heaven and earth's supreme principles, one could relocate mountains and fill seas, pluck stars and seize the moon. The reason the Council of Elders possessed such strength relied upon their grasp of Heavenly Dao.
"As the maxim proclaims: 'Heaven's Dao proves constant; it exists not for Yao, nor perishes for Jie. Respond with order and auspiciousness follows; respond with disorder and ominousness follows.' All our Australian learning constitutes Heaven's Dao study and induction—this likewise represents where our New Daoism's 'Dao' resides." Cui Hantang concluded.
Observing everyone's half-believing, half-doubting appearance, Cui Hantang simply performed several magical demonstrations like igniting fire with a finger, combusting ice, and transforming sunlight into rainbows. Everyone registered some astonishment, praising Daoist Priest Cui's profound magical prowess successively.
"Were this a wandering Daoist from elsewhere, he would inevitably claim this represents his elevated magical power, yet actually that constitutes absurdity!" Cui Hantang spoke with assurance. "These actually represent Heavenly Dao. I have merely glimpsed into it, capable of learning and employing it; it constitutes no theory of deities and spirits."