Chapter 14: Turmoil Arises at the Temple of the Flying General

Three years ago, Zhang Zai lectured at the prefectural school in Jingzhao. Two years ago, he served as the military secretary of Weizhou, assisting the governor of Huainan Circuit, Cai Ting, in military affairs. In his spare time, he also taught his disciples. Last year, he was invited to lecture at the Lüye Pavilion in Wugong County. Perhaps in Central China, Mr. Zhang's reputation was not yet great, but in Guanxi, he was highly respected, and scholars from Guanxi followed him with admiration.

Han Gang suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. No matter how he talked, he still had to rely on his teacher. It was indeed his good fortune to have studied under Zhang Zai. In any era, being a disciple of a renowned master and having classmates to support each other made it much easier to gain fame. Zhang Zai, his teacher, was his greatest support at this time, and it was only natural that Han Gang needed to understand Zhang Zai's theories more deeply. For this reason, he had spent a significant amount of time recently reviewing the notes he had taken while listening to Zhang Zai's lectures.

"Void is qi." "Qi, as a substance, disperses into the formless, fitting into my essence. When it gathers, it forms a tangible shape, without losing its constant nature." "The void cannot be without qi, qi cannot fail to gather into all things, and all things cannot fail to disperse into the void."

This was Zhang Zai's view of the natural world, with qi at the core, and all things in heaven and earth arising from qi. Replacing 'qi' with 'matter' and 'the void' with 'universe,' it can be seen that the root of Zhang Zai's theory is materialistic. "Qi is the void, rising and falling, flying and never ceasing."

This is another way of expressing the 'absolute nature of motion.'

"Gathering is my essence, dispersing is my essence. Knowing that death is not extinction, one can speak of nature."

Alright, this sentence is essentially the theory of the conservation of matter. Whether dead or alive, the body does not disappear with death, hence 'death is not extinction.'

In addition to these, Han Gang also saw in the fragmented notes some of Zhang Zai's theories about the transformation from quantitative change to qualitative change, though Zhang Zai referred to them as 'gradual change' and 'manifest change.' There was also a rudimentary form of dialectics related to the unity of opposites: "One thing, two aspects... this is what heaven participates in."

Although Zhang Zai's words were obscure and not as clear and straightforward as those of later generations, Han Gang did not take them lightly. Zhang Zai's theory of qi had many points in common with the philosophical theories Han Gang held. With a different phrasing, even the atomic theory, element theory, and dialectics of later natural sciences could be integrated into it. These theories, which belong to the realm of natural philosophy, have been verified by countless people over thousands of years, and their rigor far exceeds that of the theory of qi. They can also be verified through experiments, which aligns with the Confucian teaching of 'investigating things to gain knowledge.'

Packaging the natural science theories of later generations into the theory of qi is an interesting idea, and Han Gang believed it had a good chance of success. If successful, not only would Zhang Zai's legacy extend beyond his famous four maxims, but his theory of qi would also be passed down to future generations. And the power and status Han Gang had long dreamed of would follow.

In his spare time over the past few days, Han Gang set a schedule, giving himself a deadline to spend half a year developing this new theory within the framework of the theory of qi. For creating a new theory, this time was not long, but it was enough for Han Gang. His goal was not to replace the theory of qi with a new academic discipline but to use the theories he already understood to complement the deficiencies of the theory of qi. At the same time, he needed to leave room for improvement, allowing for gradual refinement in the future.

Being half a step ahead of the times is genius; being a full step ahead is madness. Han Gang did not have the arrogance to challenge the entire society; he was not Don Quixote. His goal was to secure the power and status that could protect himself and his family, and nothing more. This was the one thing he would not waver on for any reason.

A self-consistent system must be built step by step and cannot be achieved overnight. At the same time, this process would gradually enhance his reputation, which in turn would bring him the power and status he desired. The rise in status would, in turn, promote the spread of his theories. Academia and power were mutually reinforcing. Without the support of power, it would take decades or even centuries for a theory to spread.

Han Gang was not very familiar with history, but he knew the status of Neo-Confucianism in history. The founders of Neo-Confucianism, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, were his teacher's cousins. He had even met Cheng Yi last year, a middle-aged man who was stern and rigid, with a critical and harsh gaze that made every student of Zhang Zai tremble, fearing to lose their teacher's face. Even in the Southern Song Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism did not dominate, and it was even banned for political reasons.

He regretted not delving deeper into the details of Zhu Xi's biography when he had nothing to do on the train, skipping over the chapters on Neo-Confucianism and focusing instead on the gossip about Zhu Xi's scandalous affairs. This was a case of 'money can't buy foresight,' and Han Gang now deeply regretted it.

Calming his mind, Han Gang buried himself in his work, carefully studying. Once he had some results, whether through letters or direct meetings, the new theory could pique Zhang Zai's interest. This would lay the foundation for his reputation in the scholarly circles of Guanzhong.

As Han Gang immersed himself in his work and practiced archery and swordsmanship, the golden autumn of September passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was time to repay the temple of the Flying General.

On the 23rd day of the tenth month, it was already late autumn. The sky was clear and blue, a perfect autumn day with lush grass and fat sheep. However, the cold wind from the north was becoming increasingly sharp, and winter was drawing near.

Han Qianliu, along with a dozen invited neighbors, walked to the Li General Temple not far from the village. The Li General Temple was dedicated to Li Guang, the Flying General of the Western Han Dynasty. Behind the temple was Li Guang's tomb, and the inscription on the tombstone, "Tomb of General Li Guang of the Han Dynasty," was written by Han Qi, the governor of Qin Prefecture at the time.

Due to Li Guang's high praise in the Records of the Grand Historian, he was very famous in Guanxi, especially at his hometown's Flying General Temple, which had always been well-visited. Not only did local devotees come, but also literati from all over who admired Li Guang, and the government sent people to take care of the temple, with regular sacrifices throughout the year. The Li General Temple was about a mile outside Xiaolongwan Village. On holidays, the villagers would come to worship, and if they were sick, they would come to the temple to light incense and make wishes, seeking the divine power of General Li to help them.

When Han Gang was seriously ill, Han Qianliu and Han Aili had come to the temple and donated twenty pounds of lamp oil, making several empty promises. Although this was superstitious, it proved effective, and Han Gang's illness soon improved. This was why Han Qianliu came to repay the temple—people can be deceived, but not the gods.

Han Gang arrived at the temple before his father. Even earlier were Han Aili and the little girl, who had set out early in the morning, carrying large and small packages of ingredients to prepare the feast after the temple offering.