"The sound of reading in the wind and rain is heard; Family affairs and state affairs, everything cares. " A classic couplet, people have to sigh its atmosphere and courage. It is often seen that people of insight take this couplet as their motto, encouraging themselves to study hard and serve the motherland. If the author can still see people agree with his thoughts in this way today, he will surely die laughing. Now this couplet is hung in Donglin College for tourists to enjoy. I have to mention two names here: the author of this couplet, Gu Xiancheng, and his comrade, Gao Panlong.
Due to corruption within the ruling class in the Ming Dynasty, some officials, landlords, gentry in opposition and their intellectuals accused the government of corruption and demanded reform. However, the stubborn nature of feudal society certainly does not allow such a thing to happen. As a result, Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong and other outspoken officials were exiled to their hometowns. However, instead of passive seclusion, they still "committed themselves to the world" and focused on the rise and fall of the country. In the thirty-second year of Wanli (1604), Gu Xiancheng and Yuncheng brothers initiated the restoration of Donglin Academy, and gathered together with Qian Yiben, Xue Fujiao, Shi Menglin and Yu to give lectures, which closely linked reading, giving lectures and caring about state affairs. The couplets "the sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading, the sound of family affairs, state affairs and what's going on in the world" are a true portrayal of their reading and giving lectures without forgetting the national security. Lindong School, headed by Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, with Donglin Academy as the main body, was born in the voice of reading, giving lectures and saving the country.
Lin Dong's lectures coincided with the intensification of social contradictions in the late Ming Dynasty. Especially in the later period of Ming Shenzong's rule, eunuchs were playing politics, border incidents occurred frequently, and their salaries increased greatly. The people have a heavy burden and politics is becoming increasingly corrupt. They took lectures in Donglin Academy as the link and gradually developed into Lindong School with Jiangnan scholar-officials as the core, with distinctive academic ideas and positive political opinions. It calls for honesty and integrity, revitalization of official management, opening up the way of speaking, getting rid of the accumulated disadvantages of the ruling and opposition parties, opposing corrupt officials' bending the law, and calling on the court to benefit businesses and show compassion for the people. These criticisms needed the broad sympathy and support of the society at that time. At the same time, it was also strongly jealous and opposed by the eunuch group. The development and evolution of political differences between them formed a fierce competition situation in the late Ming Dynasty. The opposition generally refers to the lectures of Lindong College and the government and public who have relations with it or support sympathy lectures as "Lindong Party", and carries out unprovoked attacks and slanders on them. This is the origin of "Lindong Party". By the time of the apocalypse, the Lindong Party and the Yen Party Group attacked each other because of the debate on political affairs, reaching the point of irreconcilable openness. At the end of the Apocalypse, eunuch Wei Zhongxian stole power and disorderly government, presented the so-called "Lindong Party List" to the whole country, and publicly arrested and persecuted a large number of Lindong party member. Gao Panlong resisted power rape, refused to be humiliated, and committed suicide by drowning. At the same time, political strife is angry at giving lectures, and it is also aimed at destroying academies all over the country and prohibiting giving lectures. In the sixth year of the Apocalypse (1626), Lindong College was completely demolished within a time limit, and the lecture was suspended. Zhu Youjian, Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, ascended the throne and punished Yanshi Group headed by Wei Zhongxian. At the same time, rehabilitate Lindong party member. And ordered the restoration of Donglin College. However, some Lindong party member can only feel a little relieved next spring.