Chapter 3 The Immortal Touches My Head

  Sitting beside Zhao Xingde, Li Ruoxue and Li Ruoxu siblings involuntarily leaned back slightly. Li Ruoxue looked at Zhao Xingde with great surprise, then averted her gaze, lowered her head, and closed her eyes, wondering why a refined and elegant Confucian scholar would suddenly exude an aura that made people's hearts tremble with fear, even feeling somewhat terrified. Li Ruoxu, on the other hand, was infected by Zhao Xingde's aura, gritting his teeth, opening his eyes wide, and staring at Hua Buqi together with him, as if he would throw down his pen and take up arms to ride into battle as soon as war broke out between Song and Liao. Hua Buqi also showed a slight surprise, for it is said that "those who have just passed through difficulties are easily broken", Zhao Xingde's temperament was likely to be similar to his own, and his future in the officialdom of Great Song would probably be fraught with setbacks.

  Chuō Bǔ zhī tàn le kǒu qì, chén yún dào: "Bīng fǎ yuē, shí zé wéi zhī, bèi zé gōng zhī. Liáo guó suī rán cán bào bù rén, dàn jūn lì jí wéi qiáng shèng, dān dān zhù zhā zài yōu zhōu de liáo jūn, biàn yǒu shí wàn zhī zhòng. Suǒ wèi qīng guó qī shí wàn tiě qí, suī rán shì xū shēng dònghé duō, dàn qì dān zú nán zǐ chéng dīng biàn kě zuò zhàn, jiǎo shù zhēng fā, sān sì shí wàn qí jūn zǒng shì yǒu de. Cǐ wài hái kě zhēng fā běi dì shì wéi, nǚ zhēn, wǔ guó, měng gǔ děng mán zú cóng zhēng. Wǒ cháo suī rán hào chēng yǒu bā shí wàn jìn jūn, dàn cháo tíng bǐng chéng shǒu nèi xū wài zhī cè, hù fēi jiǎo jiǎo kòng è qì dān de hé dōng hé běi liǎng dà háng yíng, zǒng bīng lì bú guò sān shí wàn, ér qián bīng piān shǎo, zì bǎo yǒu yú, ruò xiǎng jìn qǔ yōu yān, què shì bù zú."

  Zhao Xingde fell into deep thought, then looked up and said: "According to the teacher's words, the Xia State has strong military power, but is restrained by the Jie people and Turks west of Congling, making it difficult for them to launch a large-scale eastern campaign. Is there a possibility of allying with Xia to attack Liao?" As he spoke, he gestured with his hand: "If we follow the example of the Northern Expedition during the Yongxi era, our army will divide into two routes. The vanguard of the Eastern and Northern Routes will loudly declare war on Yan, attracting the main force of the Liao army to come and meet us. Meanwhile, the Xia State will use its elite cavalry to cross the grasslands, bypassing the mountainous regions in front of and behind the states, and launch a surprise attack on the side and rear of Youyan, sealing off the Yu Pass and preventing the Northern Court's elite troops from coming to reinforce." Zhao Xingde was a scholar who had never experienced battle, but he had been influenced by his fellow students' enthusiasm for discussing military strategy. At this moment, he spoke fluently, as if he had everything under control. Finally, he said in a low voice: "After the victory, we will divide the Liao State equally, with the area north of the Great Wall going to Xia and our dynasty taking the area south of the Great Wall."

  "This is truly a madman." Li Ruoxue flashed such an evaluation in her mind, she had been famous for her talent since her youth and didn't know how many young talents had shown off in front of her, but no one was as arrogant as Zhao Xingde, with a hint of ambition to dominate the world in his words. How could it be described with just the word "crazy"? Li Ruoxu's eyes, on the other hand, showed a eager-to-try expression.

  Chu Buzhi looked at Zhao Xingde with a complex expression, shook his head and said: "The Xia State occupies the Guanzhong region, and the emperors of successive dynasties have ascended to the throne in Dongdu Longan, competing with our dynasty for the Central Plains. The court's concern for the Xia State far surpasses that of the Liao State, how can we ally with the Xia to attack the Liao?" He paused for a moment, seeing that Zhao Xingde still had an angry look on his face, knowing that he had just heard about the miserable situation of the Han people in the Liao State, and was filled with a desire to destroy this dynasty. Under the turmoil of his emotions, not only did he break the teachings of the saints to hide one's joy and anger, but he also forgot the court's concerns about the Xia State.

  "Young people, indeed full of vigor." Xiang Bu's heart was somewhat melancholic, recalling that he too had been one of Bai Mudan's admirers in his youth. Upon hearing that the beauty had been abducted by the Xia State, he had disregarded friends' advice, abandoned his official post, and set out alone on horseback to the west of Hangu Pass, intending to berate Liu Yi in front of him and make him ashamed and admit his mistake. These decades of navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom had worn away his youthful vigor and sharp edges.

  "It's absolutely impossible to form an alliance with Western Xia, but once war breaks out with the Liao people. Our dynasty has 150,000 elite troops stationed in the western capital east of Hangu Pass, most of which can be mobilized to head east." Xiang Bu added, "The military system of Western Xia has a standing army of only around 200,000, and they also need to guard against enemies on both the east and west sides. The Anbei Military Commission, which guards against the northern nomadic tribes, and the Andong Military Commission, which guards against our country, each have only over 20,000 troops. The total standing army in Guanzhong is only about 50,000. If Western Xia wants to launch a war of conquest, they will inevitably need to mobilize retired soldiers and militia from Guanzhong, making a big stir, and our dynasty can take early precautions." Xiang Bu had spent many years studying in Western Xia when he was young, so he understood the situation between Song and Xia very well. The Guanzhong region of Western Xia has frequent exchanges with merchants from the Central Plains, and although Xiang Bu only held a idle position in the Hanlin Academy, he knew that over the past hundred years, both Song and Xia had arranged countless spies within each other's borders. If Western Xia only mobilized its standing army, it might be possible to launch a surprise attack, but if they mobilized retired soldiers and militia, it would be difficult to escape the ears of Song spies.

  Zhao Xingde sighed, and according to the information revealed by his fellow students in the Taixue Academy, although the Song Dynasty had a large army, it lacked elite troops that could launch long-distance raids and defeat more numerous enemies. The key to capturing Yan during the Northern Expedition lay in blocking off Yu Pass before the Liao Kingdom's northern army marched south. Only an elite force like the 25,000-strong vanguard of the Qin state that blocked the retreat of the 400,000-strong Zhao army during the Battle of Changping could undertake this task. He wanted to ask more questions about the official system and military system of Xia Guo, but Xu Bu's face showed signs of fatigue, apparently tired from lecturing and answering questions. After the lesson was over, the three disciples stood up and respectfully thanked their teacher. Only after dinner with Xu Bu and his family did Zhao Xingde bid farewell and leave.

  The sky was a deep yellow, and although it was already early spring, the north wind started to blow in the afternoon. On the street of Bianliang, people came and went in a hurry. However, Deng Su, a young scholar from the Imperial Academy, stood respectfully outside a not-so-large mansion, his white Confucian robe almost turning gray from the cold wind mixed with dust and sand particles. The frail-looking young man didn't move at all, nor did the respectful expression on his face relax. This was already his third visit to Taishi Qin Hui, and even the gatekeeper of the Qin's mansion couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him anymore.

  Many students from remote villages came to Bianjing without any support, seeking to meet with Confucian scholars. Not only could they learn from them, but also gain fame and reputation. The recommendation of their teachers was extremely important for the students' future careers. People from the same school would help each other, and in official circles, they wouldn't be lonely or unsupported. This custom originated in the Tang Dynasty, where the support of one's school had a huge impact on one's career prospects. The most famous example is that of Zhao Pu's student Feng Zheng, who became a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the third year of Taiping Xingguo and rose to become Chancellor during the Mingzong era. Feng Zheng's student Xue Kui became a jinshi in the third year of Chenghua and rose to become a participant in the politics during the Ruizong era. Xue Kui's student Wang Zeng even achieved three top honors in the imperial examination during the Xianping era, becoming the number one scholar in the land, and rising to become Chancellor during the Zhuangzong era.

  The master's support for his disciples is often unremitting, and the disciples also often serve their masters like fathers throughout their lives. For example, during the reign of Emperor Wu Zong, the prime minister Wang Xun had no children, so after his death, it was his student Hou Wen Su who escorted his remains back to the ancestral tomb of the Wang family in the eastern and western suburbs of the capital. Together with other disciples like Wang Rong, they buried their master and built a hut next to the tomb to mourn for three years. The Wuling Academy, which is now one of the four major academies in the country, was founded by these disciples of Wang Xun. At that time, it was already famous throughout the land as a beautiful story. Later on, although the Wuling Academy did not have much influence in the central government, it had a strong presence in the official circles of both the eastern and western suburbs of the capital, with its members closely connected like branches on the same tree, making it impossible for outsiders to penetrate or for water to seep in.

  By the time of the present dynasty, the fashion of seeking patrons and masters became even more prevalent. The most difficult to see was none other than the extremely popular Grand Councilor Cai Jing. Every day, scholars lined up at his gate to request an audience, to the point where the Kaifeng Prefectural authorities had to be called in to maintain order. One scholar always managed to arrive first at Cai's gate every day. Finally, one day, when Cai was reviewing the guest book, he saw that this man had been doing so every day and was extremely surprised. Moved by his sincerity, he summoned him for a conversation and found his talent acceptable, so he recommended him. This man eventually achieved great success. Stories like these encouraged batch after batch of scholars and officials who were eager to achieve distinction to take the path of seeking patrons and masters.

  At dawn, Deng Su arrived at Qin Hui's gate to request an audience. He had been waiting there all day without food or drink, and was now famished. However, as a protégé of the powerful Grand Councilor Zhao Guangyi, and as a leader among the upright officials in the court, Qin Hui's door had been buffeted by cold winds for three days, just like the legendary tale of Cheng Hao standing in the snow. Compared to that, what was this? Suppressing his annoyance at the pointing and whispering of passersby, Deng Su consoled himself thus: This is merely my mentor testing my sincerity.

  Just as the sky was turning dark, Deng Su thought that he had waited for another day and was about to leave when the gate of the Qin Manor suddenly opened a crack. The originally cold and stern-looking doorkeeper smiled like a chrysanthemum flower and beckoned him over.

  The so-called dignity of the teacher's way is quite cumbersome when it comes to paying respects, with many rituals such as "requesting an audience", "thanking for the meeting", "warming up" and "expressing gratitude". Fortunately, since Qin Hui was willing to accept Deng Su as his disciple, he didn't make things difficult for him. Instead, he had a warm conversation with him for quite some time, offering guidance on both academic and official matters, as well as suitable praise, making Deng Su feel like he was basking in the warmth of spring, silently admiring that Qin Hui was indeed a revered master looked up to by scholars everywhere, and feeling truly fortunate to have entered his tutelage.

  Qin Hui stroked his three long beards, gazing at Deng Su who was respectfully paying homage to him. The conversation just now had subtly tested him, and he was quite satisfied with this new disciple. Although Qin Hui currently held only a minor official position as a doctor, his ambitions were not small, and the standards for selecting disciples were extremely strict, requiring them to have the potential to become pillars of support in the future.

  "Shou Yi, among your fellow students at the Imperial Academy, is there one named Zhao Xingde, a descendant of Zhao Dunruo who served as an attendant in the Yuanyou period?" Qin Hui asked seemingly nonchalantly.

  Deng Su did not know why Qin Hui asked about this matter and hastily replied respectfully: "Yes."

  "As a teacher, I have some old acquaintances' feelings for him. If there's an opportunity, you can bring him to my mansion together." Qin Hui said slowly, his face showing no joy or anger. Deng Su bowed and accepted the order, but in his heart, he secretly envied Zhao Xingde. He himself had waited bitterly at the gate of the Qin Mansion for three days before being allowed to enter and pay respects to his teacher, while Zhao Xingde could easily obtain the opportunity to enter the Qin Mansion thanks to the remaining influence from the Yuanyou era. However, he didn't know that in the past, when Qin Hui first started his official career, he had also been wronged by someone who was jealous of him and was falsely accused by political enemies. At that time, Zhao Dunxin, who was then serving as a Shangshu, not only spoke on his behalf in front of the officials but also highly praised his character, leaving a deep impression on the officials that he was fearless of the powerful. Qin Hui learned a lesson from this experience and from then on understood the principle of "expanding or contracting according to the circumstances" and not only gained a good reputation but also won the appreciation of the emperor and Chancellor Zhao Zhenfu. This time, when the emperor showed mercy to the Yuanyou party members by allowing them to enter the Imperial Academy, he secretly took note and waited for an opportunity to promote Zhao Xingde one or two steps as a way to repay the kindness that Zhao Dunxin had shown him in the past.

  Deng Su was very conscientious about the first task entrusted to him by his teacher. As soon as he returned to the Taixue dormitory, he couldn't help but seek out Zhao Xingde and tactfully convey his teacher's intention to accept him. Zhao Xingde's face remained expressionless, but in his heart, it was like being stung by a hornet - although this world was very different from the history he knew, Qin Hui's reputation in history was indeed too great.

  "Dr. Qin, I appreciate your kindness, and I will definitely follow the elder brother to thank you in person. However, I have already become a disciple of Mr. Chu Bo, the Taishi Bureau of the Hanlin Academy." Zhao Xingde said with a serious expression.

  "What?" Deng Su had not spoken, but Chen Dong on the side jumped up, seemingly looking at Zhao Xingde with a pained expression. According to the imperial system, although there was only a two-character difference between the Hanlin Academy and the Hanlin Academician Institute, they were worlds apart. The Hanlin Academy was where scholars of miscellaneous studies such as astronomy, medicine, calligraphy, chess, and painting served, and its officials held extremely low positions, and were excluded by orthodox Confucian scholars. Officials of the Hanlin Academy could only wear green robes and not crimson or purple ones. They were strictly forbidden from wearing golden or silver fish-shaped bags that symbolized their official status. According to the imperial system, civil officials were promoted one rank every three years, while military officers were promoted one rank every five years, but officials of the Taishi Bureau were only transferred once every ten years, and it was stipulated that Hanlin Academy officials could not be reassigned as civil officials. Being sent to the Hanlin Academy was equivalent to being thrown into an official's grave. It was precisely for this reason that Xu Bu had not forced Zhao Xingde and the other three to pay him formal respects as their teacher.

  Xu Buzhi's official position was from the seventh rank, while Qin Hui's official position was of the eighth rank. Everyone knew that Qin Xianjian was favored by the emperor and placed in the Imperial Academy, but it was just a convenient way for him to accumulate his strength, cultivate his reputation, or perhaps leave him for his son to use in the future. Even if he didn't become the Prime Minister, Cai Jing had once said that Qin Hui was a formidable figure. Studying under Qin Hui versus studying under Xu Buzhi was almost like heaven and earth apart in terms of their future official careers.

  But Zhao Xingde surprisingly gave a positive answer to Chen Dong's question, he benefited greatly from Xu Bu's place. People of this era attach great importance to the relationship between teachers and students. Although Xu Bu did not force him to acknowledge this teacher-student relationship with Li Ruoxu, he was not a flattering or despicable person. After the death of Prime Minister Wang Zeng, when his political enemies were in power, his student Ning Keju built a hut to lecture, refused to serve as an official, and did not change his school, which was praised by the world. In comparison, after the famous prime minister Wang Anshi lost power, many of his disciples did not mention new learning, even people from the old party sneered at him.

  Chen Dong and others saw the situation, but it was not good to persuade him, so they had to give up. Li Xue was originally infatuated with miscellaneous learning, and when he heard that Zhao Xingde had entered the Taishi Bureau under the door of Xu Bu, he was overjoyed in his heart and secretly thought about finding an opportunity to ask Yuan Zhi to take himself to the Hanlin Academy to see it. At this time, however, He Fang and Zhu Sen walked into the study with joyful expressions on their faces, opening their mouths to invite everyone to eat and drink at the Shangyuan Building. These two people usually didn't leave each other's side, specializing in practicing qigong, but today they were so happy that it showed on their faces, and everyone felt strange. Before anyone could ask them about it, He Fang explained the reason: "Turtle Mountain Master, Yang Shifu has accepted us as his disciples."

  The crowd suddenly realized that this Yang Fuzi was a renowned Confucian scholar of his generation, a legendary figure with a great reputation. In his youth, he studied under the tutelage of Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, with a sincere heart. Once, when visiting Cheng Yi, he saw his teacher napping in the hall and did not dare to disturb him, so he stood waiting quietly at the door. It happened that it was snowing heavily outside, and by the time Cheng Yi woke up, the snow had accumulated knee-deep outside the door. This is the famous anecdote of "Standing in the Snow at the Gate of Cheng" that people still talk about today.

  According to legend, when Yang Shi completed his studies and returned south, Cheng Yi sighed and said, "My teachings have gone south!" Not only did he excel in Confucian studies, but after entering officialdom, he also showed remarkable integrity. When Wang Anshi was in power, he strongly criticized the new policies, and when Cai Jing came to power, he repeatedly submitted memorials criticizing the harsh policies of the Flower and Stone Taxation, which made Cai Jing and other high-ranking officials both hate and fear him. The reason they did not dare to harm him was that his reputation was too great.

  Zhao Xingde also happened to know that Yang Shi was the founder of the famous Donglin Academy in later generations. During the Ming dynasty, famous ministers such as Gu Xiangcheng and Gao Panlong rebuilt the Donglin Academy, proudly proclaiming that they were inheriting the orthodox Confucian tradition.

  At this time, Yang Shi was recalled by the imperial court to serve as a Secretary Lang of rank 8, and was considered by officials and students of the Imperial Academy to be an intentional move by the emperor to use this veteran minister to balance the increasingly arrogant Grand Chancellor Cai Jing. Some even rumored that Yang Shi would soon take up the position of National Preceptor of the Imperial Academy, in charge of the Imperial Academy.

  "It's truly a joyous occasion worthy of celebration, and of course, we must set out wine. You two don't know yet, but Deng Shouyi has also become a disciple of Master Qin." Chen Dong said to He Fang and Zhu Sen. He and Zhang Biao were already close disciples of the upright and honest leader, Supervising Censor Sha Wu. He Fang and Zhu Sen had become disciples of the renowned Yang Shi, and Deng Shouyi had become a student of Master Qin. Although the students of the Li Xue She were currently unknown, except for Zhao Xingde's master, Chu Bu, who was slightly inferior, all the masters that the others had chosen to follow were famous Confucian scholars, and their future official careers would naturally be bright."