Hey everyone, Lausel Montgomery here. Welcome back to the China History Podcast.

Last time we convened, we were in the Northern Song Dynasty looking at the five founders of

Neo-Conffusionism.

So far we're three-fifths of the way there.

Last time we looked at Jodun Yi, Shaoyung and Jiang Zai.

And right now, we're going to finish off the Cinco-F Fundadores by looking at a couple of brothers.

Cheng-Hao, who lived 1032 to 1085, and his younger brother by one year, Cheng Yi,

1033 to 1107.

I think I mentioned this.

All these five philosophers who were so instrumental

in the growth of neo-confucianism, they all lived at the same time and knew each other. and the

fundamental and the growth of Neoconfusionism. In fact, the Chung brothers' father

used to have philosophical debates with Jodun Yee,

Shaoyung, and Jiangai back in the day.

Chenghau and Changii both studied under Jodun Yi.

These northern Song philosophers, they lived during the best of times, the reigns of Emperor Renzon, Yingzong and Shenzong.

These were the glory days of Suu Shur or Su-Dong-Poh.

He too was a contemporary of the Chung brothers.

If you were someone who was part of the educated elites of Northern Song's society,

this period of these five philosophers, 11th century Kaifung must have been the scene of some of the best repartee the tea houses of China had seen since who knows when.

When you talk about the two chungs, we think of Li. Li is one of those Chinese characters with a lot of

meanings more than 15 of them. But the one definition of Li that we are most

...