Chapter 8 Floating Clouds Hanging in Mid-air
Chapter 8 Floating Clouds Hanging in Mid-air
"There can be no square without rules, and since our Academy has taken it upon itself to support the state, how can we allow a careless atmosphere? Entering or leaving the academy are major events, not like going to a tea house or a tavern, where one can come and go as they please."
During the discussion of the Lixue She charter, Zhang Bing was quite dissatisfied with Deng Su's statement "fellow travelers come and go freely" regarding the management of "Yueli Zhai". Deng Su said: "This society is only a place for discussing and practicing academic theories, it's not an official government office, how can we restrict the direction of fellow travelers? The rule that does not allow members to leave the society at will is too tyrannical. As you said, when people have different views, they cannot be forced to stay, this goes against the teachings of Confucius."
Zhang Biandao said: "If it's just a matter of studying the art of cutting and polishing, then what Brother Deng said is indeed excellent. But our society has as its aim to support and protect the country, so if in the future someone relies on the power of our society to attain a high position, but then abandons the principles of our society, leaves the society to seek glory, and betrays us by relying on the powerful, how should we deal with him?" He gazed intensely at Deng Su, as if he were the very person who would do such a thing.
Deng Su was somewhat embarrassed by his pressing, and replied loudly: "Of course it is to gather the power of all the gentlemen in the world to attack. But what does this have to do with ordinary scholars retiring from society? Everyone has their own aspirations, why must Brother Zhang force people to do what is difficult for them? Furthermore, if such a regulation is made that one cannot retire from society at will, wouldn't it make those who are sincerely devoted to the Tao fear and keep their distance?"
Zhang Bing coldly replied: "Xiang Dao's heart is not firm, he is a hesitant and indecisive person, it's better to give up. Originally, there are few gentlemen in the world, but many petty people."
Seeing the two men arguing with red faces, Chen Dong and He Fang, who were watching from the side, hurried to mediate. Zhao Xingde pondered and said: "Both of you have reasonable points, in my opinion, a gentleman upholds etiquette, while a petty person fears punishment. It would be better if, at the time of withdrawal from the society, we examine their behavior through the Yue Li Zhai, and if there are those who commit evil deeds or violate the teachings of the sages, we will expose their bad behavior to the scholarly community and expel them from the society. If it is because of differences in their aspirations for the Tao, they voluntarily leave the society, then after removing their name, we will notify the members of the society to avoid misunderstandings. However, if they betray the society, rely on evil people, and harm the country and the people, then our society should gather the power of all gentlemen under heaven to attack them. What do you think of this proposal?"
Deng Su and Zhang Bing listened to him propose a feasible plan, and they carefully considered its pros and cons. For a while, there was no dispute. Chen Dong thought for a moment and agreed: "Yuan Zhidao's proposal is very good." He paused and continued: "However, it seems inappropriate to only have Yue Li Zhai evaluate the character of the members. I suggest that each zhai nominate two people, and these 24 people will evaluate each other's moral integrity every year, dividing them into nine grades: upper, middle, lower, upper-middle, middle-middle, middle-lower, lower-upper, lower-middle, and lower-lower. Those in the lower three grades will be exposed to the scholarly community, and their inferior behavior will be revealed. They will be expelled from the society. Those in the middle three grades will not be affected, while those in the upper three grades will be praised and recommended by our fellow members."
Chen Dong's proposal was met with immediate approval from Zhang Biao, who said: "Well done! In this way, our Li Xue She will not be a place for hiding evil and taking in filth." Zhao Xingde also nodded in agreement, thinking to himself that he didn't have too many misdeeds that could be exposed. The other scholars present also found it difficult to voice any opposition, as they were all afraid of being accused of hypocrisy. Several people who had been somewhat unscrupulous in the past couldn't help but secretly lament, thinking that if they had known about this rule beforehand, they wouldn't have joined the Li Xue She in the first place. They began to plan in their minds, waiting for the storm to pass before using the excuse of "different views" to resign from the society. On the other hand, those who were normally very strict with themselves felt a sense of pride and satisfaction, as a scholar's reputation and career prospects were closely tied to his association with the Li Xue She. If they could use their membership in the society to promote themselves, it would undoubtedly have a great impact.
As expected, all the scholars unanimously agreed to this nine-grade evaluation method. Zhao Xingde, as one of the proposers and a descendant of a loyal and good official, naturally became an evaluator. Although "Zhi Bing" study had only two people, Meng Yuan felt that his father's reputation among the scholars was not good, so he voluntarily proposed not to be an evaluator. In addition, other studies also had disagreements, and finally 17 evaluators were confirmed. The conduct of these evaluators would be evaluated by other evaluators and recognized by the scholars in their own study, under the supervision of all the scholars in the academy.
Meng Yuan patted Zhao Xingde's shoulder and said, "In my opinion, Brother Zhao should be a top-grade official." Although he liked lively scenes and socializing, he had little interest in court politics. At this moment, he was also secretly regretful for joining the Li Xue She (a scholarly society) and hoped that under Zhao Xingde's care, he could make a dignified exit.
After the discussion of the charter of the Academy of Sciences was over, the scholars were invited to watch the dragon boat racing of the Imperial Guard at Jinming Pond outside Xishuimen. Chen Dong and others had already sent servants and hired idlers to occupy a scenic spot with willows on the bank of Jinming Pond, where they spread out brocade mats, filled various colored boxes with sugar plums, crystal sugar, lychee paste, plum ginger, apricot slices and other sweets, while Pan Lou prepared wild duck meat, dripping water crystal jelly, winter moon plate rabbit roast, fried corners, brain meat and other snacks, along with newly brewed plum wine and apricot wine, all served in high-quality silverware.
The students occupied a hillside next to Jinming Pool, overlooking the area from above. They saw that the banks of Jinming Pool were filled with luxurious tents and banquet tables belonging to officials, merchants, and scholars, surrounded by servants and maidservants. The bustling citizens of Bianjing (the capital city) gathered around street performers, forming lively circles to watch performances such as swallowing iron swords, playing puppets, spitting colorful water, spinning mud pellets, miscellaneous plays, storytelling, music played on the qin, sheng, drum, and flute, knife-throwing, monkey shows, and more. In addition, there were fortune tellers, riddle solvers, and medicine peddlers walking among the crowds, making the area around Jinming Pool extremely lively. Many ordinary citizens found a large tree to sit under in groups of three or five, facing the water of Jinming Pool and sitting casually on the ground. In front of them were bamboo baskets filled with various snacks. Some stood by the pool, tiptoeing to gaze at the Linshui Temple across the way.
The Linshui Temple, which was once empty and desolate, is now even more grand and extraordinary. Countless banners and flags cover the sky and block out the sun, while the soldiers of the Imperial Guard wear large red brocade robes, with flowers blooming on their hats, and their swords and spears shining brightly in the sunlight. The cavalry are stationed with their horses, and the infantry are lined up in formation, arranged neatly and orderly beside the temple. Inside the Linshui Temple, yellow silk umbrellas, golden chairs, and other imperial objects are prominently displayed, indicating that His Majesty Zhao You is personally attending the Dragon Boat Festival celebration here. The temple is filled with royal relatives and countless eunuchs and palace maids, holding gold and silver spittoons, white jade fruit plates, peacock feather fans, and jade-handled dusters, among other imperial objects. Although it is daytime, 200 palace attendants are carrying red silk lanterns and crystal palace lamps, surrounding the area in a circle.
Next to the Linshui Temple, there is a large open space. Before the dragon boat racing officially begins for the imperial guards, various troops have arranged for colorful performances and acrobatic shows to be presented to the officials. Some are singing opera, some are dancing lions and leopards, some are drumming and dancing, some are climbing bamboo poles, some are doing backflips, some are wrestling naked, some are fighting with rattan shields and waist knives, and some are spitting fire from their mouths. Because they were deliberately prepared, the performances are a hundred times more brilliant than those watched by ordinary people on the other side of the Jinming Pool. Moreover, there are hundreds of musicians from the palace music department playing in harmony with pipes, strings, and bamboo instruments, making it a real carnival.
Emperor Song Zhao Yu's left hand was the prime minister, his right hand was the imperial prince, and behind him were the beautiful ladies of the harem and the princesses. When Zhao Yu looked out at the ceremony, he saw that all the officials outside the Linshui Hall were dressed in formal attire, and outside the ranks of officials, the temple guards had specially selected tall and strong warriors to stand guard, making the envoys from Liao, Xia, Dali, Chenla, Three Fuzu, Goryeo, and Eastern Japan look even more respectful.
"I wonder how many of the 800,000 imperial guards in this great Song Dynasty are actually capable?" Yelü Da Shi said lightly, his voice only audible to himself and Li Ruobing, the newly appointed monitor official at Duting West Post Station.
"How many of the so-called elite troops in your country have been donated to the high-ranking monks of Buddhist temples?" Li Ruobing retorted, "The nobles of Liao are infatuated with Buddhism and many royal families have actually donated their long-followed Pishu tribes to the temples. This matter is also ridiculed in Song."
Zhao You's eyesight was particularly good, and he saw that the Liao envoy Yelü Daishi actually dared to raise his head and glance upwards, and his nose tip couldn't help but hum a light sound. He recalled what Deputy Prime Minister Zhao Zhi had suggested, stirring up and supporting the Jurchen tribes in northern Liao to harass Liaoyang, which was indeed worth trying.
The Imperial Guard's personal army, the Step Army, and the Commander of the Metropolitan Area, Tong Guan, came to report that all the participating armies were ready. Zhao You indicated that the dragon boat racing could begin. After three cannon shots, amidst the deafening cheers of hundreds of thousands of Bianjing residents, nine dragon boats slid off the starting line. Each dragon boat had twenty-four strong men on board, with their upper bodies exposed, exerting great force to row the oars, making the dragon boats seem like they were flying across the water's surface.
"Add more strength! Faster! Faster! Faster!" Iron Cavalry School Lieutenant Han Shizhong, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing a tattoo of a white-browed tiger on his arm, struck the drumbeat with all his might. His own voice was even louder than the drumbeat, and the veins on his short, thick neck bulged out. The elite Iron Cavalry soldiers he had handpicked did not dare to slack off, and soon they were drenched in sweat, but their arms did not relax in the slightest. As Han Shizhong's drumbeat accelerated, the frequency of the rowing increased, and the splashing water grew bigger and bigger. The cheers from the crowd on both banks also grew louder and more intense.
"Fixed price, fixed price! Now it's 50 cents per ticket, 50 cents per ticket!" Zhao Bo, a local rascal from Kaifeng Prefecture, loudly hawked the betting tickets in his hand. Before the competition started, the strengths of the various armies were not yet apparent, so one betting ticket was priced between 10 and 30 cents based on past performances. If he won, he would pay out 100 cents. At this point, the armies had already taken their positions, with the Tiger Wing Water Army from the Imperial Guard's Infantry Division taking the lead by half a boat length. Naturally, many people were betting on the Tiger Wing Water Army, so the price had risen to 50 cents. Zhao Bo also guessed that the Tiger Wing Water Army would win, and he stopped selling tickets as a result.
However, the final result was very satisfactory to Zhao Bo. The iron cavalry's dragon boat, led by school lieutenant Han Shizhong, came from behind and surpassed the Tiger Wing Navy, breaking through the silk ribbon that lay horizontally on the water surface first, with one boat circling in the center of Jinming Pool.
Han Shizhong proudly pulled down the red scarf from his neck and commanded the soldiers to shout loudly: "Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!" The dragon boats of various armies arriving at the front of Linshui Hall shouted in unison, accompanied by the imperial guards on the side, their voices shaking the sky and earth. Zhao Youlong was overjoyed, and with this shout, the Imperial Guard General Tong Guan shouted: "Look at the reward!"
One hundred palace maids threw heavy strings of copper coins with red flowers tied to them into the Jinming Pool, prompting soldiers to jump off the dragon boats to dive for the reward money. After getting their hands on the money, they hung the strings around their necks. Some returned to the boats to rest, while others continued diving in the water with multiple strings of coins hanging from their necks. The scene even descended into chaos as some soldiers began fighting each other underwater. The princesses and concubines watching from the waterside pavilion couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight. These palace women rarely saw such robust men, and they took advantage of the opportunity to throw various silver coins into the water while blushing at the sight of the strong men in loincloths diving in and out of the water.
On the other side of Jinming Pool, there was a group of women staring intently at those dragon boat racing soldiers. They were heavily made up and had enchanting manners, looking like goddesses from afar. However, surrounding them were many ill-looking and foul-mouthed rascals from Bianjing who glared at ordinary citizens who dared to get close, these women being the famous courtesans and songstresses of Bianjing City.
"Is that robust military officer, the one who's got your attention, Hongyu?" teased a heavily made-up woman to another. The girl named Hongyu bit her lower lip and gazed at the muscular military officer swimming vigorously in the Jinming Pool, a flush rising to her face. "I didn't expect him to be so robust," she thought to herself, then glanced around at the rowdy young men nearby, a hint of worry creasing her brow.
Han Shizhong was like a man who would die for money, non-stop scooping up the cash, his neck loaded with over ten strings of copper coins and small gold and silver ingots, weighing nearly tens of kilograms, until he had scooped up all there was to scoop, before returning to the dragon boat, beaming with joy, waving his arms and shouting: "Long live! Long live! Long long live!"
Seeing such a brave man in the Song army, even Yelü Daishi, the Liao envoy who always had an air of disdain on his face, praised him saying "I have seen many heroes from both north and south, this is truly a hero!" The Han general Guo Baoyi behind him changed expression slightly, secretly feeling somewhat discontent. Yelü Daishi noticed the expression of his subordinate but only smiled faintly and did not say anything.
Emperor Zhao Yu liked such a straightforward and brave general, and he also liked his bravery. He ordered to reward him with 200 pieces of silk again, and then turned back to Tong Guan, who was in charge of the dragon boat racing, and instructed: "Such a brave general must be well taken care of." Tong Guan nodded and agreed.
"Your Majesty, since the navy can be used, I request to build large ships to go out to sea, visit and invite envoys from various countries overseas to come and pay tribute." Chancellor Cai Jing took the opportunity to push the boat with the current, and the Liao and Xia states almost tacitly grasped the overland passageway for Western countries to come and pay tribute. In the early years of this dynasty, countries such as Tubo, Yutian, Shule, Gaochang, and Heiyi Dashi that had come to pay tribute had long been destroyed by the Xia state. Now, the vassal states that came to Bianjing to pay tribute were far fewer than in previous dynasties, and most of them came by sea.
The Imperial Guard General Tong Guan, who had a tacit understanding with Cai Jing, also knelt down and said: "What Minister Cai said is absolutely right. I, your humble subject, am willing to lead the fleet out to sea and spread the nation's prestige in all directions!"
Tong Guan, relying on his great merit in supporting the current emperor, held important positions such as Shiwei Qinyin Jun Du Yuhou, but was always ostracized by the upright officials. Shaowu even directly petitioned to criticize eunuchs leading troops, which would inevitably lead to the disaster of the eunuchs in the previous dynasty's Divine Strategy Army. Many people behind his back called Tong Guan "Eunuch General". Therefore, Tong Guan was particularly eager to achieve great merit that would be remembered for generations. Escorting foreign envoys who came to pay tribute by sea was just such an important matter, and he couldn't allow anyone to oppose it. Listening to the envoys who traveled by sea, there were countless countries overseas that admired China's prosperity, and as long as they were slightly enlightened with reason and tempted with benefits, they could once again present a prosperous scene of foreign envoys coming to pay tribute in droves.
