Chapter 2 Twelve Floors Five Cities 2

  Zhao Xingde and the crowd of students saw off the lonely sail, its shadow gradually disappearing into the horizon. "A great man should be like this!" Chen Dong sighed, Zhao Xingde's heart slightly moved, and he slowly nodded his head.

  Han Shizhong, the second commander of the Iron Cavalry Left Wing, stood still on his horse not far from the dock, looking at the group of officials and students seeing off Huang Chuishan with a gloomy face. Only when Huang Chuishan set off safely did he spit a mouthful of thick phlegm into the grass by the riverbank and shout in a low voice, "Return to camp!" The 471 cavalrymen under his command sheathed their swords and returned to the Iron Cavalry Left Wing's large camp on the outskirts of Bianjing under the leadership of their respective squad leaders. The mess and the captured civilians were naturally left for the Kaifeng Prefectural Government to deal with.

  After the officials and the people who saw them off had all dispersed, three barbarians wearing fur coats and tiger hats emerged from the grass at the bottom of the dam on the Bian River. One of them had a fierce face, with a faint trace of spittle on the top of his hat, and he cursed incessantly as he complained, "If it weren't for Big Brother holding me back, I would not have let Wanyan Zonghan get away with this!" But Wanyan Zongbiao just laughed and said, "You're so reckless! Did we come here to fight?" He turned to the other man and asked, "Xiyin, what do you think?"

  Wanyan Xiyin's face was filled with excitement as he said, "Han......" Seeing Wanyan Zongbiao's face sink, he quickly swallowed the next few words and stuttered, "...the analysis is correct, the Southern Dynasty is strong, its armor is solid and its blades are sharp, its products are abundant... my Jurchen tribe must ally with the Great Song to gain independence from the Khitan rule." He was not yet finished, and he clicked his tongue in admiration, "Just look at that brave warrior who was like a wolf and a tiger earlier, I heard the sound of horse hooves, but it was only 500 cavalry that dispersed more than 100,000 people. No wonder the Southern Dynasty's army can rival the Khitan." Suddenly, he looked worried again, concerned that "if the Southern Dynasty looks down on my Jurchen country as too weak and small, and is unwilling to form an alliance with us, what should we do?"

  His words hit Wanyan Zongbi's heart, and Wanyan Zongbi took a deep breath and said in a low voice: "Whether to do it or not, we'll know after trying. Even if we can't form an alliance, buying more grain, gunpowder, and ironware from the Southern Dynasty is also good."

  The three of them used their hands and feet to climb up from under the dike of the Bian River, casually brushing off a few specks of dust and grass clippings, and entered Bianliang through the East Corner Gate.

  On the way back to Taixuezhai from Bianhe Wharf, a heavy rain poured down. The students of Taixue couldn't wait under the eaves for long and rushed out in the rain. Zhao Xingde turned his head and saw that Li Ru's oil umbrella was not open, and he was getting wet with everyone else. He asked, "Brother Li, why don't you use your umbrella?" Li Ru turned around and asked back, "Zhao, can we share wealth and honor in the future if we share difficulties today?" Zhao Xingde's heart warmed up, and he nodded. Li Ru also nodded and smiled, saying, "That's very good."

  The students of Hua Zhang Inn returned to their dormitory in no time, changed into dry clothes, and were still emitting a faint warmth from their bodies. Chen Dong asked again: "Tonight there is a poetry gathering, can you go with me?" He stared at Zhao Xingde with piercing eyes. Observing his fellow students, he found that when the imperial guards surrounded them on all sides, drawing their swords, most people were trying to calm themselves down, but couldn't hide the fear in their hearts. Only Zhao Xingde and Li Ru were calm and composed. At this time, the New Party was in power, not only had they abolished poetry and literature from the imperial examinations, but also destroyed the printing blocks of folk songs and prohibited scholars from reciting poems and writing essays. However, the men of integrity would deliberately hold poetry gatherings to show their resistance. Chen Dong had long known that this young man was exceptionally talented, and today he also recognized his courage and insight, so he wanted to help him out and introduce him to the men of integrity in Bianjing.

  At this time, the party struggle was fierce. In the imperial court, officials were either clean or corrupt, either gentlemen or petty men, and either belonged to the same party or were sworn enemies. There was no possibility of being neutral. Although the old party of the Qingyu was suppressed by the new party of the powerful ministers, it actually had great potential. Zhao Xiangde vaguely remembered that Cai Jing's dominance over the court seemed to be the last glory of the new party. After that, Wang Anshi's doctrine was thoroughly overthrown and officially denounced as a false learning. Later, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism prevailed.

  Zhao Xingde thought to himself that he was just a small, insignificant student in the Imperial Academy, and the struggle between the new and old parties was still too far away for him. The high-ranking officials of the new party were all unapproachable, and they were also famous historical villains, so it was very important for him to establish relationships with people from the declining old party's Qingliu faction. After thinking clearly, he nodded his head and bowed to Chen Dong, saying: "Thank you, Brother Shaoyang, for introducing me."

  Chen Dong nodded in satisfaction, patted Zhao Xingde's shoulder and turned away.

  At dusk, Zhao Xingde put on a blue Confucian robe, tied the beautiful jade left by his father around his waist, which was the most valuable thing beside him, and went to the meeting with Chen Dong. Chen Dong looked at his half-old clothes and smiled: "Yuan Zhidao is indeed advocating frugality." Zhao Xingde shook his head and sighed: "Only ashamed of being poor." Chen Dong said seriously: "In the past, Fan WenZheng Gong studied hard when he was young, even though he was so poor that he had to paint porridge, but he still became a high-ranking official. As long as we study hard and read diligently, we will have our own day of success."

  Zhao Xingde responded with a humble "yes", seemingly unimpressed by Chen Dong's lecture on being content with poverty and the joys of Taoism. Chen Dong's face broke into a smile, and he changed the subject: "If my younger brother is truly struggling to make ends meet, I have a few ways to help supplement his tuition fees, but it would be a bit beneath Yuan Zhi's exceptional talent." Zhao Xingde's eyes lit up, and he asked impulsively: "Really?" Chen Dong smiled and said: "Of course."

  Zhao Xingde was overjoyed and immediately asked Chen Dong for guidance. Since his parents passed away, the Zhao family's business had largely declined. Originally, after becoming a jinshi, Zhao Xingde planned to either become an official directly or use his identity as a scholar to find a proxy to do business, relying on his knowledge from past generations to become rich and wealthy, with at least some savings. If all else failed, he could still make a living by teaching and marry a gentle and kind ancient beauty to spend his days. However, the emperor's benevolence was vast, allowing the descendants of the Yuanyou Party to study at Taixue, where their food, clothing, and lodging were taken care of by the government, with some extra pocket money provided. But the cost of living in Bianjing was too high, and the years spent studying at Taixue would be long, leaving little money for emergencies. Although his father had some old acquaintances in Bianjing, gentlemen do not discuss profit when interacting. Therefore, Zhao Xingde was absolutely one of the most frugal people in Huazhangzhai, Taixue, and all this was seen by Chen Dong.

  Chen Dong was born into a wealthy family, but his father was a miser. Chen Dong's living expenses in Taixue were accounted for down to the last detail, and if he didn't have a clear account, his father would fly into a rage. Since starting school, Chen Dong had always looked down on his father's mercantile ways, and although he enjoyed socializing, he refused to lower himself by asking his family for money. So Chen Dong racked his brains to come up with several ways to make a living. If he hadn't known that Zhao Xingde was so poor that he was about to write novels to support himself, Chen Dong would have never told anyone about these things.

  Chen Dong was originally worried that Zhao Xingde would not be able to save face after pulling down the Yuanyou party people, but unexpectedly this son did not put on airs and was indeed a kindred spirit. He was overjoyed in his heart and immediately came up with a way to make money by sticking up posters, which was to substitute for posting them. At that time, the party struggle was intense, and the new and old parties in the court were attacking each other. Apart from fighting on the court, they often fabricated rumors and wrote them into posters, which were posted everywhere. In this era, there were few people who could read and write, and even fewer people who could write a good article. In order to compile the ugly things of their enemies in a sensational way, each poster had to have rich content and different handwriting, which made it seem like public grievances were boiling over. Big shots often hired unemployed writers to write posters and then hired others to post them. This profession was specialized in Bianjing, where there were people who collected and distributed posters. The writers and clients did not meet each other, and both parties got what they needed.

  "We are scholars of the Imperial Academy, so even if the government officials catch us on the spot, they can only hand us over to the academy for our superiors to scold us. So I took on the task of writing and posting these placards, which earned me 300 coins per piece." Chen Dong said with a smile, Zhao Xiangde also nodded in envy and bowed his head saying: "Thank you Brother Chen, next time there's such a good opportunity, please bring me along too." Chen Dong nodded, but suddenly felt that he had lost the demeanor of a respected scholar, so he cleared his throat and spoke seriously: "The struggle between the clean and the turbid factions is intense at present. Writing more placards can broaden our horizons and also serve as practice for us. We cannot coexist with the treacherous and petty people in the imperial court."

  Zhao Xingde smiled and said, "Exactly." He asked again, "If it's a treacherous party hiring someone to write posters to attack the upright, should we do it or not?" Chen Dong showed an embarrassed expression and said, "These are all just rumors and hearsay. We don't have to do what others will do anyway. This money is there for the taking. Moreover, if the treacherous party really has a hidden plot, we can find out about it ahead of time." Zhao Xingde's heart was at ease, and he hastily said, "Brother Chen, you are absolutely right!" After this exchange, the two felt closer to each other. As they approached the residence of Supervising Censor Shaowu, Chen Dong again reminded Zhao Xingde not to leak out the matter of writing posters. Only then did he take out the invitation and hand it over to the gatekeeper.

  The main gate of the Shaowu Mansion was wide and magnificent, with eight servants standing at the entrance. Chen Dong and he were familiar with each other, and they stepped inside together. The bright lanterns on both sides of the road led them to the depths of the backyard. As they walked, Chen Dong said: "The ancestral home and name of our master are both Shaowu, which is also a beautiful story." Zhao Xingde smiled and nodded in agreement, he still had some understanding of this Mr. Shaowu, who was known as the leader of the Qingyuan faction.

  Shao Wu's father, Shao Kui, was a high-ranking official in the Longtu Pavilion, and the Shao family was not only a prominent clan for generations but also a large landowner and tea merchant in Shaowu, Fujian. With the support of his family's wealth, Shao Wu had extensive social connections and enjoyed great prestige while studying at the Imperial Academy. He was extremely stubborn and had participated in several movements to criticize government officials during his time at the academy, which caused headaches for the academic authorities. They were relieved when he finally passed the imperial examination and left the academy, but surprisingly, many students were willing to become his followers, further increasing Shao Wu's reputation among the scholarly community.

  "Master, this is Zhao Xingde, the student who mentioned last time, he is the son of Zhao Shi, a member of the Yuanyou Party, whose name is on the stele." Chen Dong bowed respectfully and knocked his head to the ground. He felt fortunate to be able to study under Master Shao Wu.

  "It turned out to be Zhong Liang's descendant," Shao Wu stroked his beard, glanced at Zhao Xingde and smiled: "Indeed, the younger generation is formidable." Then he turned around to greet Prime Minister Zhao Guangshi beside him. Chen Dong took advantage of the opportunity to bring Zhao Xingde behind a table in the courtyard, where they sat on the ground.

  The coarse but fragrant torches, not only illuminated the garden as bright as daytime, but also didn't have the smoke of oil lamps, and brought a faint fragrance, which was quite delightful. Zhao Xingde secretly calculated in his heart that such a torch would cost at least one hundred copper coins, and he lowered his head to pick up his cup and took a light sip of weak tea.

  In front of the desk, a clear stream flows gently, with petals floating on the transparent water surface. It is said that having such natural clear streams flowing through the backyard mansion makes it much more expensive than ordinary mansions. This poetic gathering is modeled after the story of the former dynasty's Clear Stream Drinking, where one would place a cup on a plate, put the plate on the stream, and let the plate drift with the water. When it stops in front of someone, that person would compose a poem or write a verse. If everyone praises it, they can drink freely; if not, the person is penalized to drink three cups of wine.

  More than twenty guests, mostly students and younger generations of Shaowu, sat with Shaowu at the upper stream, accompanied by Taizi reading, while Zhao Guangshi, the son of the prime minister, sat beside him.

  Zhao Xingde and Chen Dong sat at a table slightly downstream, where the view was not bad. All the beautiful waitresses who were busy pouring wine during the banquet could be seen clearly, without drawing attention from others. Chen Dong glanced at Zhao Xingde, and the two exchanged a knowing smile. In this dynasty, officials and students were allowed to socialize with courtesans, not just limited to drinking and listening to music to cultivate their emotions. Only private interactions or overnight stays with courtesans were prohibited. Even during festivals, official courtesans would be sent to student banquets to add to the excitement. The elegant and carefree nature of scholars was a tradition passed down through generations.

  The wine party began, and as the cups and plates circulated, the students one by one recited poems or composed lyrics. They were all young scholars, and it was inevitable that they had a competitive spirit among themselves. Even Chen Dong, who was usually generous and unrestrained, rubbed his wine cup and racked his brains to find quotes. Zhao Xingde, however, was calm and composed, as he had memorized hundreds of poems in his mind from the past when he couldn't sleep at night.

  Because the imperial court does not select officials based on poetry, Zhao Xingde has never put in half a bit of effort into poetry. Moreover, before this, he had no opportunity to show off his poetic skills. Now he is not worried about being unable to produce good poems, but rather worries that most of what he remembers are the famous phrases passed down through the ages, and if he uses overly attention-grabbing words, it would be easy to reveal his ignorance.

  Before long, the cups and plates were passed in front of Chen Dong. Chen Dong had just composed a "West River Moon", so he raised his wine cup and recited it in a clear voice:

  "The wind stirs the flowers and bamboo, the fragrance of incense wafts through the curtains. Pitifully, I am a talent wasted in the eastern wall of Song. Moreover, I understand the heart of the zither's playful teasing. The evening rain suddenly stops, the cold is shallow, the morning clouds rise again, spring is dense. The icy skin and jade bones are truly melted together. Not comparable to the idle dreams of Wu Mountain."

  Shao Wu nodded slightly in approval, and the others had no objections. Chen Dong was relieved and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, with a pleased expression on his face.

  Next was Zhao Xingde, who used the first yuan good question of "Mo Yu Er", which was the first Song Ci he had repeatedly recited with enthusiasm for a martial arts book years ago:

  "What is this thing called love, that only brings life and death together? The two guests from the ends of the earth fly together, how many times have they weathered the cold and heat? Joy and pleasure, parting and sorrow, among them are also foolish boys and girls. You should have something to say, but the vast clouds stretch for thousands of miles, the snow on the mountains at dusk, only a shadow, going towards whom? The horizontal flute road, the desolate years, the Xiao drum, the wild smoke still relies on the flat Chu. The soul is summoned by the sorrowful sighs, the mountain ghosts secretly listen to the wind and rain. Heaven also envies, not believing in it, the oriole and swallow both turn into yellow earth. For a thousand autumns and ten thousand ages, leaving behind the poet's legacy, singing wildly and drinking painfully, come visit the tomb of Qu Yuan."

  Zhao Xingde somewhat embarrassedly picked up his wine cup, feeling a bit ashamed in his heart. It wasn't that he didn't want to be low-key, it was just that the phrases stored in his mind were all timeless masterpieces, and if there were any more, he wouldn't be able to do them justice.

  After listening to Zhao Xingde's recitation, everyone was stunned for a moment. After a while, Shao Wu said with a sigh: "Xingde's poem is biased and not balanced, it has not achieved the middle way of being calm and peaceful. Although the rhyme is skillful, the style is insufficient. Let's drink three cups."

  It was Zhao Xingde's turn to be stunned, he didn't expect that the famous work listed in the top 300 Song Dynasty poems would also be so unbearable in Shao Wu's mouth. Seeing the scholars present nodding frequently, it seemed they acknowledged Shao Wu's judgment. Helpless, he could only pick up his wine cup and drink three cups in a row. The wine burning in his belly, Zhao Xingde thought: "It seems that Mr. Shao's taste is really high."