Chapter 2 Twelve Cities Five Floors 1

  It's hard to say whether the half-month period is long or short. The students of Taixue are busy running around, contacting and seeing off Huang Zhoushan, the demoted Taichang Shaoqing. Apart from studying hard, Zhao Xingde took Chen Dong to move around, occasionally having some leisure time, he would also write a draft for the sequel of "Snow Shadow Fairy Footprints", being busy but joyful, before realizing it was already the day Huang Zhoushan left the capital after being demoted by Chancellor Cai Jing.

  After having an early meal, when he saw Li Huo preparing to go out and see off Huang Zhou Shan, Zhao Xing De couldn't help but smile. Outside the sun was shining brightly, but this guy was wearing wooden clogs with long teeth and holding a green oil-paper umbrella, looking just like a young noble from a play set in the misty rain of West Lake. Over the past half month, the weather had turned from cold to warm, not only melting the accumulated snow, but also bringing spring rains.

  Zhao Xingde coughed and pointed at the wooden shoes and umbrella, asking: "Brother Li, what's this?"

  Li Ru said solemnly, "I observed the celestial phenomena. Last night, a gentle breeze of masculine energy lingered under the withered grass at the corner of the courtyard. This morning, a soft breeze of feminine energy flowed along the willow branches on top of the wall. As yin and yang meet, it is inevitable that clouds gather and rain falls. Therefore, I must prepare for the wedding early."

  In modern terms, the warm and humid air from the east and the cold and dry air from the west may meet above Bianliang today, forming a front of precipitation, which is exactly what Li Yu said in this way, astonishing many people.

  Zhao Xingde nodded and laughed, saying: "You really should become a Taoist priest." He thought to himself that he was still young and strong, and could easily avoid the wind and rain for a while, so he didn't want to prepare an umbrella like Li Hui did, which would make people laugh at him.

  Li Huo retorted, "What I've learned is Guan Gongming's method of observing the heavens. On the other hand, your theory about cold and warm air coming together to form rain lacks a clear lineage and resembles the new theories about primal energy. Given the intense factional struggle at present, we must be careful not to give others an excuse to attack us."

  Zhao Xingde and Li Huo walked side by side, chatting and joking along the way, until they arrived at Baokangmen Street, still hundreds of steps away from the East Corner Gate of the inner city. Huang Zhou would board a ship at the Bian River Wharf outside the East Corner Gate, sail into the Grand Canal, transfer to a sea-going vessel in Yangzhou, and then head south along the coast, traveling all the way to the legendary plague-ridden Qiongzhou.

  At this time, many tea houses, wine shops, and foot shops were still closed, but the streets were already crowded with people, and some wealthy officials were still wary of the power of Chancellor Cai Jing's party. However, tens of thousands of peddlers and travelers didn't care about these things, and upon hearing that today was the day when Mr. Zhou Shan, who had submitted a petition opposing the two evil laws of competitive land and interval construction, was being demoted and leaving the capital, they all temporarily suspended their businesses to come see him off. After passing through the East Angle Gate, the surging crowd's momentum was even more magnificent, with tens of thousands of people rushing towards the Bian River dock within a radius of over ten miles, while outside the East Angle Gate, hundreds of thousands of commoners had gathered, and the Rainbow Bridge spanning the Bian River seemed to be swaying precariously under the weight of the densely packed crowd.

  "When the people are alarmed by the chariot, the gentleman is not at ease in his chariot; when the common people are alarmed by the government, the gentleman is not at ease in his position." In the elegant pavilion on the third floor of Fengxing Wine House beside the Bian River, a middle-aged man with a square face and long beard, dressed in a light blue Confucian robe, gazed out of the window thoughtfully and murmured, "The ruler is like a boat; the common people are like water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat." He turned his head to look at the painter who was painting by the window and said in a low voice, "This 'Picture of Sending Off the Virtuous', must be painted truthfully and with care."

  The middle-aged man's words were gentle and pleasant, but they carried an air of authority that made the painter tremble. He bowed his head and replied, "Yes, sir." The middle-aged man couldn't help but frown at the painter's timid appearance, and he turned his face away to continue observing the scenery on both banks of the Bian River.

  Another scholar beside him burst out laughing and said, "No wonder the prime minister attaches so much importance to this meeting. This clever strategy of killing two birds with one stone is indeed brilliant. However, the emperor loves meticulous landscape paintings in long scrolls, and unless it's a master painter like Zhang, it would be hard to enter the emperor's eyes. If this painting is presented to the emperor, I'm afraid the old thief will no longer be able to deceive him." The painter, Zhang Zeduan, was someone he had found, so Luo Ruijin felt rather pleased with himself.

  The two were confidants of Vice Premier Zhao Zifu. Although Zhao Zifu was recommended by Cai Jing as the premier, he secretly cultivated his own faction and planned to oppose Cai Jing. Qin Hui, because of his deep understanding and stable demeanor, as well as his decisive handling of affairs, gained Zhao Zifu's trust, and was specially appointed as the National University Professor to accumulate students and reputation. Luo Ruyi also held the position of Deputy Minister of Justice, a ruthless and arrogant person who looked down on others.

  Listening to Luo Rujin's words, Qin Hui's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction. He glanced at the painter, who was intently drawing mountains and rivers, seemingly unaware of the conversation between the two men. He snorted, shook his head, and sighed: "The old thief's position in the emperor's heart is as stable as Mount Tai. Can a painting shake it? It's just that those who do evil will eventually perish. Perhaps when the time is right, there may be some use for it." His face sank slightly, and he changed the subject: "Brother Yanqi, has the old thief's party mobilized the yamen and the imperial guards?"

  "It is indeed." Luo Rujin's face had a pleased expression, Qin Hui slightly nodded his head, humming in agreement without speaking.

  Next to him, Luo Rujin continued without knowing the interest: "To return to the subject, Huang Zhou's academic theory is not only different from the Yuanyou academic trend, but also different from the treacherous party's pseudo-academy. After careful consideration, it is actually similar to the Xixia Liangsu school, specializing in inciting villains, slandering monarchs, and recklessly discussing 'the rise and fall of the world, our responsibility', 'taking away the benefits of the world to satisfy private desires, called national thieves.' The officials also looked at the ancestral family law of the scholars in this dynasty, so they tolerated him. Who knew that he would become more vicious and even oppose the two financial laws of competitive buying and interval framework? He himself holds a rich academic theory, but does not know that this dynasty inherits the legacy of Wang Wengong, taking national finance as the first priority. Just look at all the officials and scholars in the court, except for a few ignorant Taixue scholars, only these peddlers came to see him off, it is clear that this person is ignorant of current events and has lost his way."

  He chattered on and on, but Qin Hui only slightly furrowed his brow, a hint of cold glint flashing in the bottom of his eyes. The crowd of people seeing him off suddenly surged forward, a slight ripple quickly spreading into a turbulent wave.

  "Huang Daren, Huang Daren has arrived." The people crowded on the Hongqiao Bridge looked out from both sides of the railing, the layers of people pressing against the wooden railing creaking with a loud noise. Even children climbing on the willow trees along the Bian River took another few steps up, stretching their necks as far as they could. Even scholars like Zhao Xingde and Li Ruo, who were lost in the crowd, were infected by the inexplicable excitement, and involuntarily followed the flow of people surging towards the official road at the East Angle Gate.

  The bustling crowd had already blocked the way from Dongjiaomen to Bianhe Wharf. A large group of students surrounded two middle-aged men wearing Confucian robes, slowly walking out of Dongjiaomen. Behind these Confucians were several carts carrying family members and luggage, and outside were officials from Kaifeng Prefecture with over a dozen sturdy constables, blowing their mustaches and glaring at the crowd to clear the way.

  The people of Bianjing had always been intimidated by officials, like sheep seeing wolves. But now they were surging forward, surrounding the yellow sedan chair with three layers inside and out, making it impossible to pass through. The people in the front row stood on tiptoes to get a glimpse, while those in the back could only see the heads of those in front. Amidst the shouts of "Minister Huang!" and "Mr. Zhou Shan!", there were also many whispers and discussions. Zhao Xiangde personally heard a loafer speaking with flying spittle, saying: "The treacherous minister Cai Jing and his party are demons and monsters who have come to earth to disrupt the government and harm the people. Cai Jing is a bear monster, Gao Taigong is a horse demon, Liang Shicheng and Tong Guan are two-headed pigs that were castrated in their previous lives, and Li Bangyan is a lustful sheep demon... Fortunately, our dynasty has Minister Huang..."

  Since the current emperor ascended to the throne, taxes have been increasing day by day, and officials from top to bottom have been tightening their grip on the people. The prime minister, Cai Jing, and others have been exerting themselves to collect taxes in order to please the emperor's intentions. As a result, the national treasury has received several times more revenue than before, and officials from top to bottom have also filled their private pockets. In rural areas, even though the grain had not yet matured, the government began to collect summer and autumn taxes in advance. What is even more detestable than collecting taxes in advance is borrowing them. Some provinces and counties in Jiangnan actually borrowed taxes for ten years ahead of time. What makes people want to cry without tears is that after a local official was promoted, his successor often refused to acknowledge the taxes that had been borrowed in advance.

  Cai Jing advocated "financial management for the country", but in reality, he was cunning and cleverly created names to extort money. In the early years of Taizu, the government still used money to buy silk and hemp, but now they are taken away freely like the two taxes. Apart from this, there were also military units that took grain and fodder without paying, and various forms of embezzlement such as "provincial expenses", "mouse and bird expenses", and "warehouse expenses". All civilian transactions were subject to a tax called "jing money", and a special monthly tax called "yue gang money" was levied to increase military expenditures. The lower-ranking officials in the counties cleverly created various names under the yue gang money, including "introduction fees", "vinegar fees", "paper sales fees", and even "winning lawsuit celebration fees".

  After Cai Jing took power, he more straightforwardly converted grain taxes and cloth taxes into silver coins for the people to pay, known as "folded money". Ordinary farming families had little silver left over, and the people had no choice but to borrow from merchants at high interest rates. In a year of famine, they could not make ends meet, and there was the worry of having nothing to eat, selling children and daughters. Even in a good harvest year, if unscrupulous merchants took advantage of the situation to lower prices, grain prices were low, and the silver coins obtained by the people after selling their grain were often insufficient to pay taxes, so they had no choice but to sell their food. When paying taxes, the people often suffered from extortion by corrupt officials. Huang Jian criticized this in his memorial: "The court is violently collecting taxes, and those above and below are greedy for bribes, sucking the marrow from the bones, stopping at nothing, causing the market to wither away, the people's blood and sweat do not exist, and the localities are exhausted."

  Among the scholars of the imperial court, only Huang Dan, with his righteous words, petitioned to abolish the miscellaneous taxes and was demoted to Hainan. Some of the people who came to see him off thought of their difficult livelihoods and burst into loud wailing. At that moment, the cries on both banks of the Bian River shook heaven and earth, and many people knelt down on the ground, crying out loudly for Huang Dan's injustice.

  Huang Jian bowed to the crowd in all directions, thanking them repeatedly. However, the crowd did not disperse and refused to clear the road. Huang Jian stopped in his tracks, gazing at the Bianliang citizens surrounding him with a mix of emotions, and sighed: "During my previous diplomatic mission to Liao State, I discussed the overall situation of the world with Liao officials. They said that we Chinese people are weak and timid, lacking courage, and are only fit to be slaves. We can maintain what we have but are not capable of making progress. However, seeing you all today, I realize that although our citizens in the Central Plains have been oppressed, they still have a spark within them. With one or two wise leaders and ministers to guide us, it's not impossible for us to conquer the Khitan in the north and subdue the strong Western Xia." He then turned to the Supervising Censor, Shao Wu, who was seeing him off: "With corrupt officials dominating the court and evil bureaucrats running amok, I have already been dismissed. The task of supporting the state still requires your efforts, brother."

  Shaowu nodded and replied, "Although Brother Zhoushan's words have some reason, the imperial court has its own rules and regulations. When the people's emotions are stirred up, it is easy to fall into chaos. If one can calm them down, that would be good; if not, it would lead to disorder. In our dynasty, every time there was a disaster year, the wise rulers of previous generations would recruit strong and able-bodied men from among the refugees to form a militia, which is exactly what I mean."

  Academically or politically, Shaowu and Huang Zhoushan had different views, although they said that differences in opinion did not preclude cooperation. However, Shaowu admired Huang Zhoushan's courage in opposing Cai Jing, so he didn't mind offending the treacherous party by gathering his disciples to bid farewell, but on matters of morality and governance, it was absolutely impossible for them to compromise.

  Zhao Xingde, Li Huo, Chen Dong, Zhang Biao, Deng Su, He Fang and other students of the Imperial Academy relied on their status as students of the Imperial Academy and had already squeezed to the front row. Zhao Xingde also saw Huang Jian, this great scholar of the world, for the first time. He was not tall, slightly thin, with a long face, three strands of beard under his chin, dense eyebrows, dark skin unlike that of a scholar, but his eyes were very clear.

  Zhao Xingde spent ten years studying in a cold window, apart from the classics that must be tested by the imperial court, the works of Confucian masters of his time and the academic tendencies of high-ranking officials of various dynasties were also essential to grasp. Otherwise, talking about Yuan You's scholarship in front of a new party minister would end up more tragic than an unlearned and unskilled rogue. What the new party opposed was exactly what the old party advocated for, and vice versa. In short, the new learning was the official academic doctrine of the imperial court, which used the changes of the Three Dynasties to promote reform, revered the sages of the Three Dynasties while despising Han and Tang, focused on classics while despising literature, history, and other subjects.

  In contrast to the flourishing of new Confucianism in the imperial court, the old learning advocated by Sima Guang and other Yuanyou dignitaries was more popular among the people. Apart from the New Party and the Old Party, there were also the Cheng brothers promoting the Luoyang School that emphasized "the unity of heaven and man" at the Henan Academy, and Huang Zongxi advocating for "the world as host, the ruler as guest". Each Confucian school had a large following among the people, but they did not tolerate each other, further escalating the Confucian debates into major military and political strategies, entangled with court party struggles.

  Since the controversy between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, although the court has strongly attacked factionalism, without powerful party support, even if Confucius and Mencius were reborn, Guan Zhong and Yue Yi revived, it would be difficult to stand out alone in the Song Dynasty court, and could only decline into obscurity. This is also why Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, although great scholars of their time, were relegated to rural life, and Cai Jing dared to disregard public opinion and demote Huang Jian from his high position as Taichang Shaoqing to a minor post in Qiongzhou.

  Zhao Xingde was lost in thought when he was suddenly pushed and almost fell over. He came to his senses to see a yamen runner holding a knife scabbard in his left hand and a waist knife in his right, glaring at him and cursing: "You stinking scholar, you're blocking the way of an official, do you want to rebel?" The knife handle was about to strike Zhao Xingde's face.

  Zhao Xingde had not yet responded when Chen Dong loudly shouted: "You filthy little official, how dare you beat up the son of a Taixue scholar?" Zhang Biao, Deng Su, He Fang and other Taixue students immediately began to loudly protest. The imperial court has always been lenient towards scholars, and Taixue students are not ordinary commoners; as long as they pass the Shangshe examination, they become officials who outrank these yamen underlings, so how can they tolerate their bullying?

  The yamen runner was taken aback by this, and the crowd of people who had been watching from a distance saw that even the yamen attendants could be intimidated. Someone in the crowd took advantage of the chaos to shout: "This kind of treacherous official is harming loyal subjects! Let's first kill all these lackeys, then ask the government to get rid of the treacherous officials!" Several strong men emerged from the crowd, wielding iron rulers and wooden clubs, and began beating the yamen runner mercilessly. The originally agitated crowd surged forward, punching and kicking, and more than a dozen yamen runners begged for mercy without cease. Even Huang Jian and Shao Wu tried to intervene but were unable to stop them, and it seemed that they would be beaten to death.

  The officer in charge of the escort team hid beside Huang Jian and others, muttering: "Treason, treason." He took out a signal arrow and shot it into the sky, and the sharp whistle sounded far away in the midst of the noise.

  "It's terrible." Li Ruo's face changed greatly, and Zhao Xingde secretly cursed in his heart. The crowd surrounding Huang Jian, Shao Wu, and the other scholars was chaotic, with people constantly surging forward to catch a glimpse of Huang, some wanting to vent their anger on the government officials, others shoving and pushing everywhere, and some simply watching the commotion but unable to escape from being squeezed in the middle. The sounds of shouting, scolding, begging for mercy, and even wailing filled the air. Although the scholars wanted to make way, they were tightly surrounded by the crowd and couldn't move an inch.

  Before long, the distant sound of horseshoes echoed faintly, and more than 500 brave cavalrymen rushed out, holding short clubs and beating them randomly, rushing towards the crowded area. Wherever they went, the people ran away with their heads in their hands. Closely following the cavalry were more than 2,000 imperial guards on foot, each holding knives and swords, punching and kicking, driving away the crowd with curses. Behind the imperial guards were the yamen runners from Kaifeng Prefecture, holding iron rulers and chains, specially capturing those who led the disturbance, not even sparing people wearing low-ranking official uniforms or Confucian scholars' attire.

  Huang Jian and Shao Wu's disciples looked at their masters, Huang Jian's face showed anger, shouting: "The treacherous minister is jealous of me, why harm the people to satisfy his desires!" Shao Wu, however, remained expressionless, standing with his hands in his sleeves, looking around at his disciples, saying in a low voice: "Mengzi said that a great man cannot be humiliated, this is what it means to be a great man. The backbone of the scholars under heaven, the more they are oppressed, the stronger they become. Today we will see how far the treacherous minister's party will go!" The disciples received their master's instructions, nodded in unison, and stood shoulder to shoulder on either side of Huang Jian and Shao Wu, over a thousand people standing still, their robes fluttering, their faces stern, as if they were going to die for a just cause.

  The imperial guards and government officials rushed to the front of Huang Jian and others, intimidated them for a while, and when they saw that everyone was unmoved, they divided their troops into two routes, only beating and capturing the scattered crowd, separating ordinary civilians from Huang Jian and Shao Wu's group. They also left hundreds of palace guards around to guard. In the Song Dynasty, literature was valued over military power, and scholars were highly respected, while soldiers were relatively lowly. These palace guards beat up civilians like wolves, but now they were restrained by their officers, only pretending to shout in all directions, not even daring to glance at Huang Jian and others.

  On the upper floor of Fengxing Wine House, Luo Ruijin's face showed a disappointed expression. If these imperial guards and officials did not know their place and killed scholars, violating the ancestral rules of the Zhao family, they could take advantage of the situation to write a big article. Even if they couldn't frame Cai Jing, they could take the opportunity to eliminate many of his followers. Qin Hui secretly sighed and suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see that it was actually Zhao Guangshi, the son of Grand Preceptor Zhao Zifu, accompanying Crown Prince Zhao Ke walking in.

  "The treacherous officials of the party actually dared to mobilize the imperial guards without authorization, this is truly a heinous crime." Zhao Ke's face showed anger and indignation. Today, Zhao Ke had brought Zhao Guang to secretly investigate the situation, if they hadn't left quickly, they would have also been beaten by the imperial guards. In their haste, they couldn't help but rush about in a flustered manner, and the hems of their robes were covered in mud stains. This year is not auspicious for them, and they are being bullied by petty people. The two young masters, who usually pay great attention to cleanliness in their daily lives, are extremely indignant.

  Zhao Guangshi gazed down from the wine tower, and the scene of soldiers and civilians rushing about in a state of utter chaos was no longer as shocking as it had been earlier. His heart finally slowed down, and he shook his head, sighing: "The Master's benevolent and tolerant way has not yet prevailed in the world, how sad is that!" He had just run with Zhao Ke for a while, and without realizing it, his undergarments were drenched in sweat, making him feel somewhat chilly. Looking around, there were no servants attending to him, so he could only endure it and wait until he returned to the mansion to change his clothes.

  "Arbitrarily mobilizing the Imperial Guard is no trivial matter, Lord Qin. The old thief has deceived people too much. Can we submit a memorial to impeach the treacherous minister?" Zhao Ke's eyes showed a sinister color, which was very different from his usual cautious and prudent appearance in front of Emperor Zhao You.

  "Kaifeng Prefecture, the Imperial Censorate," Qin Hui hesitated for a moment before speaking, "and also the Imperial City Guard, they will all speak up for the old thief. They can use the chaos among the people as an excuse, claiming that it's an emergency and they had to take liberties, shirking responsibility. For over a decade, His Majesty has shown no decrease in his favor towards Cai Jing. If we were to make an issue out of this matter, at most Cai Jing would receive a reprimand, but if the old thief harbors resentment because of this, it would be detrimental to Your Highness."

  His tone was neither slow nor urgent, but carried a persuasive force. The crown prince thought for a moment and nodded his head. "If he were to ascend to the throne as emperor in the future, he would definitely dismiss all those who are as cunning and deceitful as Cai Jing." Zhao Ke thought to himself secretly. His mother had passed away early, and his personality was not like that of his father, the emperor, who was flamboyant and unrestrained. Therefore, although he had been appointed as the crown prince, he did not win his father's favor. In recent years, the third imperial son, Zhao Ji, had outstanding literary talent and had increasingly gained his father's affection. Recently, even the Imperial City Patrol, which oversaw the imperial clan and officials, was handed over to the third imperial son to manage.

  Rumors of the Eastern Palace's relocation are spreading wildly, as the Imperial City Guard is in the hands of the Third Prince. Zhao Ke is on edge every day, afraid that he will make a mistake and give him an excuse to take action. The trusted officials of the Emperor, Cai Jing, Liang Shi Cheng, Tong Guan, etc., have all shown goodwill towards Zhao Qi, while Vice Premier Zhao Zhi Fu and Li Bang Yan only secretly expressed their support for the Crown Prince, unwilling to openly offend Cai Jing and the Third Prince.

  Qin Hui saw the crown prince's eyes filled with hatred, and he secretly sighed. He turned his head to look at the area outside the East Angle Gate to the Bian River dock, where the original crowds had been completely dispersed, leaving only a desolate scene. Over a hundred leaders of the rioters captured by the Kaifeng Prefecture government were being guarded by the Imperial Army, including several low-ranking officials wearing green robes who were lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be officials from the Astronomical Observatory, the Historiography Bureau, or the East-West Eight Workshops. Qin Hui pondered in silence, thinking that these officials were considered inferior in the current dynasty, with a status lower than that of military personnel. It was probably because Huang Jian had previously petitioned for their ranks and treatment to be elevated, so they came to see him off today out of gratitude, but felt ashamed and couldn't walk alongside the scholars and officials, instead mingling among the common people. This situation seemed to be about to be used by Cai Jing as a pretext.

  The soldiers and government officials dispersed the crowd, then surrounded Huang Jian, Shao Wu, and the students who had come to see them off. Under the officers' orders, the cavalry galloped back and forth around them, drawing their swords. After a while, an officer rode over and, without saying much, ordered his men to clear the way to the Bian River dock.

  Shao Wu coldly snorted, this officer was either ignorant of the times or came forward to bother him, even reporting his name and surname. As a Supervising Censor, Shao Wu's brush had the power of a thousand jun, if he wanted to cut off the future of this low-ranking military officer, not even Cai Jing could stop him.

  The crowd walked slowly under the escort of the imperial guards and arrived at Bian River Wharf, where Huang Jian and his family members boarded an official ship.