Zhang Hua had not expected the emperor to actually feel so pleased with himself over something like this.
Who would feel gratified because his own famous scholars had come to blows?
This was the Imperial Academy!
It was simply a disgrace to scholarly refinement!
Zhang Hua asked about the situation again.
This fight had mainly arisen from the dispute between Zheng Learning and Wang Learning.
Zheng Learning and Wang Learning had been at odds for many years, but their conflict had not originally been particularly fierce, probably because its influence had been confined to scholarship.
Now, however, things were different. This concerned the legitimacy of official learning.
When Qiao Zhou took up Xunzi's many propositions once more to oppose current Xuanxue theories, even preparing to cut away the very foundation on which Zheng Learning stood, the conflict between the two sides instantly intensified many times over.
Even if the emperor had accepted Wang Su's earlier theories, they would only have suppressed Zheng Learning. Once the present theoretical framework was established, however, it would no longer face suppression, but elimination.
Sun Yan had already begun gathering his disciples and friends from across the land, preparing to bring down these fellows who acknowledged neither sovereign nor father and held no regard for Heaven's mandate.
Qiao Zhou was not skilled with words, but he had people backing him.
Cao Mao favored Qiao Zhou, and under Cao Mao's influence, Qiao Zhou had gained a great deal of invisible support. It was far more than merely having the Xun Family openly supporting him.
Xiahou He, Zhong Yu, and the others at the Imperial Academy were, in fact, all on Qiao Zhou's side.
Their personal views might not favor Qiao Zhou, but their position certainly lay on that side. Otherwise, they would never have reached their