The education system for the imperial sons of the Qing Dynasty was set in the Kangxi years, and the imperial sons and grandsons began to study in the upper study room at the age of six. Every morning at five o’clock the imperial sons had to get up and study until six or seven o’clock in the afternoon. Throughout the year, the only day off is the New Year and the first two half days. Every day, regardless of summer and winter.
The study of the imperial sons and grandsons are located in the Changchun Garden, “Wu Yi Zhai”. From the name of the study, you can see that here is not about ease. Kangxi in the “court training aphorism” said: “all people cultivate their bodies and governance, should be careful in the day. I am in June when the summer heat, no fan, not remove the crown, which are not self-indulgent and can be.” That is to say, all the cultivation of the body and nature should be reflected in the usual actions, starting from small daily things. I in the summer of June, the heat of the day are not fan, do not take off the hat, this is because I usually strict requirements on their own, do not indulge themselves, to do so.
“The day of “Wu Yi Zhai
For the imperial children’s studies, the requirements are extremely strict. Kangxi often randomly check the imperial sons’ homework, test their martial arts. Kangxi up register” and other books record Kangxi twenty-six years (1687) June 10, the imperial son in the study room “no Yizhai”, a day of reading situation:.
Yin time (3 to 5), the imperial son in the study, review the previous day’s homework, prepare for the arrival of the master class.
Mao time (5 ~ 7 pm), the teacher came to class (Manchu master Dahata, Chinese master Tang Bin), began to check the imperial sons of homework, began to memorize the text. A good word, you can continue the following study, underline the next paragraph of the text, continue to memorize. There will be a check tomorrow.
Chen (7 to 9), Kangxi came after the court “no Yizhai”, began to check homework, mainly to check the recitation, and now on the language class is the same, a class will first check the recitation of the text.
Si time (9 to 11 o’clock), when the early volcano, the day has been near the middle, the sun is hot. When the imperial sons read, is not allowed to take the fan, to sit upright. Begin practicing calligraphy, each imperial son is required to write each word 100 times.
At noon (11 to 13 o’clock), into the lunch. After lunch, you have to continue your self-study – writing.
At the untimely hour (13-15 hours), the imperial sons went to the courtyard of “Wu Yi Zhai” and began physical education classes, where there were bows and arrows and arrow targets, as well as learning wrestling, martial arts, etc.
Shen (15 ~ 17 hours), Kangxi again came to the Yi Zhai, randomly turn the book to order questions. The imperial sons in turn into the front of the fish recitation, sparse speaking.
You time (17 ~ 19 hours), in the “no Yi Zhai” outside practice archery. Kangxi made all the sons in turn bent shooting, each imperial son achievements vary. Also ordered the masters to shoot arrows. Afterwards, Kangxi shot himself, even shot and hit.
School was dismissed after the homework was finished. This is the day of the imperial sons.
Kangxi diligent government for sixty years as one day
Kangxi Emperor, who reigned for sixty-one years, was the longest reigning monarch in Chinese history since written records began. He was revered as the “One Emperor of the Thousand Years” for his efforts to expand the territory and benefit the people. From Kangxi, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty had to listen to the government every day, with no exceptions. Even in the eighteenth year of the Kangxi earthquake in Beijing, Kangxi as usual early morning, the imperial door to listen to politics.
Royal door to listen to the political time, originally in the spring and summer is at six o’clock in the morning (dawn), autumn and winter is seven o’clock in the morning (eve). For many elderly ministers, they had to get up at midnight every day and get up early to go to the palace in order to attend the hearing at the imperial gate. Over time, the imperial gate hearings were too much for many people to bear. So they repeatedly wrote to the emperor, hoping that he could relax the time of the imperial gate hearings.
In the face of the ministers repeatedly pleaded, Kangxi also properly arranged. Whenever it rains and snows or the heat and cold, there is really no should play matters, you can temporarily ask the order to suspend listening to politics; over 60 years old ministers do not have to come every day, you can interval two or three days to start a presentation. But Kangxi himself because “listening to politics for thirty years has become a routine, not day by day, the Royal Gate Council that feel uneasy, or every three or four days for fear of burnout, can not always carry on as one”, so still insist on listening to politics every day.
Encounter urgent public affairs, Kangxi always overnight approval, never delay. He opposed the “emperor only the most important thing in the world, do not have to manage some small things”, he publicly declared: the emperor to deal with things, a moment of carelessness will cause trouble to the world; a moment of carelessness will leave disaster to future generations. Do not pay attention to the small things, will endanger the big things.
Kangxi 15 years (1676) summer, due to the Yellow River embankment failure, overflow frequently, in order to grasp the first-hand situation of the Yellow River, Kangxi had several personal visits to the scene, diligent research. He took a boat to investigate the downstream of Mengjin, Xuzhou, Suqian, Pizhou, Taoyuan and Qingkou. And also personally inspected the middle reaches of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and other places. Also from the cross-castle (now southeast of Yinchuan City, Ningxia) sail the Yellow River in the middle reaches, lasting 22 days, thousands of miles, “everywhere I went, no detailed view.
In China’s history, there is no shortage of emperors who are concerned about the construction of water conservancy, but it is rare to see those who can personally carry out water conservancy practice many times, explore the details and propose solutions.
Scholars a day must go further
Kangxi repeatedly admonished future generations, to refine their efforts, not a little slack. He said: “Yi” cloud: “the new day is said to flourish. Learners must go further a day, so as not to waste time.” The I Ching says, “Daily renewal can be called a very beautiful thing or an extremely noble virtue.” A person who likes to learn should make progress every day in order not to waste time.
In the “Kangxi teach children the court motto” said: “The world is good and bad labor, I am the heart that people are constant labor and know how to escape. If you rest on your laurels, then not only do not know how to escape, and in case of labor that can not be carried forward. Therefore, “Yi” has the cloud: ‘the sky is healthy, the gentleman to self-improvement. From this point of view, the sages take labor as a blessing, and take ease as a curse.” It means that the world likes to be comfortable and does not like to put in hard work. But I think that only by persistent toil do we know what ease is. If you just crave for ease, then you actually can’t experience what ease is at all, and when it’s time to suffer, you can’t bear it instead. He believed that the sages all saw hard work as a blessing and ease as a curse.
Kangxi life are self-motivated, from the pro-administration until his death, except for illness, three major festivals, major changes, almost no day without listening to the government. In his later years, looking back on his life, he lamented that his reign of sixty-one years, “diligent and careful. Night and day, not a little slack, for decades, dedication, as a day.”
Throughout Kangxi’s life, these words are apt, no falsehoods.
Kangxi with their own words and deeds, cultivating moral character, the example of future generations, is a rare and valuable spiritual wealth in the treasure of traditional Chinese culture.
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