Chapter 4: The Cai Family of Baisha

  "Wen Chuan, after you go back, let Song Duan try to find someone. His name is Su Shi, also known as Zizhan, from Meishan, Mianzhou, Sichuan Province. This time he came to Kaifeng to participate in the Kaifeng Prefecture's imperial examination. He should be accompanied by his father Su Xun, also known as Mingyun, and his younger brother Su Che. It shouldn't be too hard to find him." Wang Jingfan said.

  Yu Wen asked, "Although the population of the capital is countless, since they are all examinees with a registered hometown, it's not difficult to find them. But what's so special about Su Shi?"

  Wang Jingfan smiled but did not answer, only saying: "Wait until you find these three people, Su Shi and his sons, living together for a while, and you will naturally understand. As for their literary talent and knowledge, the three of them are undoubtedly first-rate, especially Su Shi. If one day you can get some guidance from him, it would be your good fortune..."

  Wang Jingfan estimated that Su Shi and his son were about the same as himself, only having some local reputation in Meizhou. However, he was very clear that these three men were renowned scholars of great fame. The "Complete Song Ci" highly praised Su Shi and his sons, and later generations would always mention the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song" when discussing the subject. Among these eight masters, Su Shi and his sons occupied three seats. Wang Jingfan was even more aware that in next year's Imperial Examination, apart from Su Shi brothers participating, another member of the Eight Great Masters, Zeng Gongliang, would also appear. At that time, except for the controversial "Duke of Oppression" Wang Anshi, five members of the Eight Great Masters had a deep connection with this examination, making it a gathering of great minds.

  Although Su Shi brothers showed their talents in this exam, and soon became famous all over the world through Ouyang Xiu's recommendation and their own talent, the two men's life experience as officials were not smooth, and they did not have outstanding achievements in politics. Although his father highly praised Su Shi's articles, he did not think highly of him politically, at least thinking that Su Shi was not as good as his brother Su Zhe. However, Wang Jingfan didn't mind this, after all, nothing had happened yet, and as his father said, "the future is full of possibilities". Not to mention the future mutual support, just for the articles of Su Shi brothers in "The Complete Ci of Song Dynasty", he would try his best to make friends with them.

  Upon hearing this, Wen Chuan and Yu Ye felt extremely surprised. They had never heard Wang Jingfan praise anyone like that before, so they paid even more attention to it. The two of them were selected by Wang Jingfan's father from among a dozen or so children after layers of screening, although they started reading books a bit late, their natural talent was not low. After Wang Jingfan's father passed away, Wang Jingfan took over teaching the two men's studies. It wasn't easy for the two of them to get where they were today - all the children in the same batch received the same education, but they knew very clearly that with regard to those tens of hectares of land, reading books and becoming an official was the real way to bring glory to their family. Wang Jingfan and his father also hoped they would achieve something.

  However, Wen Chuan and Yu Ye were unaware that their talents were quite limited in the eyes of Wang Jingfan and his son. At most, they could only serve as executors. On the contrary, they still had some prospects in literature - their performance made Wang Jingfan and his son think of Su Shi. If they could become Su Shi's disciples, it might be possible to leave a mark.

  "If they were at home in Meishan, and delayed a bit more on the road, I'm afraid they wouldn't have arrived in Beijing yet..." Yu Ye said.

  Wang Jingfan looked at Yu Ye in surprise, unable to see that Yu Ye was a very meticulous person who could infer the itinerary of Su Shi and his son. He had forgotten earlier that there was a passage in the book saying that Su Shi and his son arrived in Kaifeng in May when the osmanthus flowers were in full bloom, and now letting Song Duan go find them would likely be futile.

  "Yu Yi thought this through carefully, let's have Song Duan pay attention to it first." Wang Jingfan said with a smile: "It's about to enter the rainy season, and this spring was very wet without drought. We need to be prepared for the summer rainy season. The Kaifeng city, such as Bian River and Wuzhang River, all have mansions of wealthy and powerful families on both sides of the river, they recklessly occupy the river channel. If the rainfall is heavy and the river channel is not smooth, it will inevitably form a situation where the water overflows into the capital. I let you choose a place with higher terrain to build an academy, also considering this worry."

  Wen sighed and said, "Not to mention the Bian River and the Wuzhang River, what about the other rivers? The banks of the rivers are lined with pavilions, towers, and buildings that stretch for tens of miles, all occupied by the imperial court's nobles, rich merchants, and wealthy tycoons. The rich have vast mansions, while the poor don't even have a place to stand..."

  Living in Kaifeng, the capital, is not easy, and Wang Jingfan has learned this lesson. To say nothing of other things, just this house can defeat a large number of people. Even officials in the imperial court are quite complaining about this - a mansion worth 5,000 guan, with a monthly rent of over 70 guan, which is naturally the style of the prime minister. However, the problem is that even among the prime ministers who are in power, only a few can have their own houses in the capital, let alone lower-ranking officials. Their monthly rent takes up more than one-third of their official salary.

  Fortunately, the imperial court does not treat officials unfairly. For minor officials without houses, the imperial court provides a monthly subsidy; otherwise, it would be difficult for them to live in the capital. This is true even for officials, let alone ordinary people. People in Kaifeng, the capital city, who own houses are fortunate. They can lead a comfortable life just by collecting rent. Not to mention the daily merchants and travelers coming to Kaifeng, this imperial court's grand ceremony is also a significant source of external wealth. However, such fortunate individuals are still few and far between in a city with millions of people like Kaifeng.

  "Since the master wants to build a famous academy, he must first have good masters. This extra house can be used for those who come from afar to take the imperial examination, such as Su Shi, which is indeed a good idea..." Yu Ye said with a smile.

  Yu Wen Chuan smiled and said: "So Mr. let Song Duan go find a place with higher terrain to choose as the school site, it was actually because he was afraid of flooding in the capital..."

  "My father had always wanted to build a school like this, but since he suffered from leg disease, he never left Hangzhou again. Building a school in Hangzhou would also be restricted. I thought about it and decided that the only place where I could fulfill my father's wish was here in Kaifeng, the gathering place of scholars. My father's last wish is something I must take seriously, just like choosing the location and size of the school, all of which require careful consideration. The school I want to build will not be one that lasts for only a few years, but one that my descendants will pour their hearts into!" Wang Jingfan said firmly, standing on the mound and looking out at the front.

  Yuwen Chuan and Yu Yue exchanged a glance, then cupped their fists and bowed, saying: "Disciple is willing to exert his utmost efforts for Master!"

  Wang Jingfan turned around and gently patted the shoulders of the two men, saying: "A knight offends with his martial arts, a Confucian scholar disrupts the law with his writing. Running a good school is not an easy task, anything unexpected can happen, you will need to be more careful in the future!"

  For a place like the academy where scholars gather, most people only see its bright side, but Wang Jingfan's father was deeply wary of the risks hidden within. "Chivalry offends with force, Confucianism confuses the law with words", this sentence has endless subtleties whether read positively or negatively, and when applied to the academy, it becomes a matter of leniency and severity. Wang Jingfan's father only left him a beautiful painting, but as the actual painter, it wasn't that easy. It was precisely because he was aware of these issues that Wang Jingfan was not so optimistic, carefully planning everything from the start.

  "Since the master intends to use the extra houses to attract talented scholars, these extra houses still need to be renovated, and the furniture inside needs to be rearranged, as well as the number of people assigned to each room. Even the peat used for heating in winter needs to be planned ahead of time." Yuwen Chuan said.

  Wang Jingfan nodded: "The houses have already been built, so it doesn't matter if we add some more money to make life here more comfortable. Not only do we need to buy daily necessities and furniture, but also set aside a few large rooms to purchase the most commonly used books by scholars to establish a library for borrowing, and stock up on writing materials such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the warehouse. After all, it's quite inconvenient to go out and travel from here, so this road leading to the outside world should be built as soon as possible..."

  "Sir, in that case, this expense..."

  Wang Jingfan waved his hand and smiled, saying: "Who made me not have the reputation of Mr. Ouyang? If it's just an ordinary school, that's fine, but this school must become the best in the Song Dynasty, even surpassing the Imperial Academy. Without good teachers, how can we make it happen? Now planting more Paulownia trees, one day phoenix will come to perch here. Now investing more, if we can attract some famous scholars in this big exam, it's worth it for the school!"

  Wang Jingfan's expectations for the academy were too high, which made Yu Wentuan and Yu Ye somewhat uneasy in their hearts. However, with more financial resources available now, Wang Jingfan's design for the academy was sufficient to cover expenses. Indeed, building an academy wasn't difficult, but if it wanted to rival the Imperial Academy, that would be unthinkable, still a distant goal. Nevertheless, seizing the opportunity to attract scholars who came to take the exams would undoubtedly benefit the academy's development.

  Bai Sha Cai knew that the real owner of this academy had arrived today, and in the afternoon, the old clan leader's son came to persuade Wang Jingfan - although the amount of land purchased by Wang Jingfan for building the academy was a bit excessive, at least he really built the school buildings in a short period of time, and the children of the Cai family had already started school, and the teacher taught well.

  The Cai family's enthusiasm was hard to refuse, and Wang Jingfan couldn't decline either. The future development of this academy still needs the support of the Cai family. Cai Xun, the eldest son of the Cai family head, is over 30 years old, wearing a long gown with a thin face, looking like a scholar who doesn't engage in production. Cai Xun had also participated in the imperial examination several times before, but every time the prefectural exam was held in Kaifeng, there would be many examinees from all over the country who could participate in the exam through recommendations from high-ranking officials or relatives. Although the quota for the Kaifeng prefectural exam is higher than that of ordinary state exams, it's still not enough to accommodate everyone, and Cai Xun's talent can only be considered average. After taking the exam several times, he gave up on the imperial examination.

  After the two exchanged names, Wang Jingfan noticed that Cai He seemed to hesitate for a moment. However, their subsequent conversation did not mention his family background at all. In his heart, he evaluated this person highly - Wang Jingfan's courtesy name "Jianfu" was self-chosen, and when he was in Zhenzhou, local scholars had privately discussed it, but none of them could grasp the point. This Cai He, after hearing Wang Jingfan's courtesy name, did not mention his parents, which showed that apart from being careless by nature, he understood the meaning represented by this somewhat esoteric courtesy name.

  It is clear from Cai Hui's words and deeds that he was not a person with a big personality. The "Li Ji · Qu Li Shang" once said, "Men are crowned at the age of 20 and named", although this "crown ceremony to take a name" has been felt inappropriate for Tang people, but even in the current court, it is not allowed for lower-ranking people to take names - Wang Jingfan's father and son did not sign a contract with the children they raised themselves, which was derived from this. In case a talented person appears, this selling oneself into bondage becomes a threshold that restricts his development.

  This character represents some of the person's aspirations, such as Cai He's "Ru Xin" which not only dissects his own name but also indicates that he will no longer take the imperial examination. Wang Jingfan's courtesy name was given by himself, and the meaning behind it is even more thought-provoking. At this age, he was full of vigor and ambition, and his character also represented his personal aspirations. The meaning hidden in "Jian Fu" is far from what "Ru Xin" refers to.

  Wang Jingfan saw Cai Huo hesitating and said: "Brother Xin, when I was born, my mother Fan had already passed away. My father named me Jingfan for me. Four years ago, my father also left me, so I took the poem 'Poetry·Xiaoya·Liaoji' 'Father gave birth to me, Mother raised me... Looking at me and returning to me, entering and leaving my abdomen' as my courtesy name Fan."

  Cai Hu bowed his hands and sighed: "I never thought I'd see the world again so full of ups and downs, this nickname is well-deserved!"

  "As for Brother Xin's smile, the kindness of parents should be remembered in one's heart, and verbal avoidance is unnecessary. Brother Xin doesn't need to worry about it."

  Cai Hu nodded, Wang Jingfan's courtesy name was taken by himself to think of his parents' upbringing, scholars attach great importance to these things. The young man in front of him had a dignified demeanor and was rare in remembering his deceased parents, which won Cai Hu's favor.

  "How did you think of building an academy here?"

  "Building a college was the greatest wish in my father's heart. Although he had also built one in our hometown of Zhenzhou, it was far from what he had envisioned. Gathering the talents of the world in the capital to complete my father's legacy..." Wang Jingfan replied.

  Cai Hu sighed and said, "Not to mention building a college, even setting up a private school is quite difficult. My Baisha Cai family had also established a free school before, but my brother's knowledge was limited and it ended without success..."

  "I bought so much land in the lower reaches also for long-term planning. Now, as the imperial court's grand examination is approaching, scholars from all over the world are gathering in the capital, and the prices of goods in the capital are soaring. I plan to build more houses to help the scholars and let them focus on the exam. After the imperial court's grand selection ceremony, I hope that a few truly talented scholars will stay behind and invite famous scholars to jointly build an academy. It will still take a long time for this academy to be truly established..."

  "This is a mature and steady plan, but the daily needs of this academy are also many, how to maintain this academy?" Cai Xiang finally asked the core question.

  Building a private academy is not difficult, especially for those with reputation and prestige. During the peaceful reign of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizu promoted education, and many official schools were established. However, the problem lies in the fact that although private academies received partial government subsidies, they are not sustainable in the long run. A private academy may last for decades or just a few years. The Cai family themselves had established a private academy but ultimately could not sustain it. They ended up using their ancestral temple to establish a primary school to select talented young people from within the clan and then used the collective resources of the clan to support them in attending official schools. In fact, the current situation of the Cai family is quite common throughout the Song Dynasty.

  "Although the government provides some subsidies for running a school, it is meager and cannot be relied upon. I have some savings in Guanzhou which I will sell out completely, and use the money to buy some houses near the capital city so that the rent can support the daily expenses of the school. For now, I have already bought two houses in the shop where I work, and in the future, I will also set up other industries... My dear brother, running a school is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and maintaining a school is a bitter and sweet experience that only one who has done it knows. However, since this is our father's last wish, I will definitely not take it lightly!"

  Wang Jingfan also knew that Cai's financial resources were questionable, and this was a very practical problem. If he had bought a normal amount of land, Cai would not have been suspicious, even with the contractual constraints. However, Wang Jingfan had no other choice. The things his father left behind could not be revealed until he was sure it was safe to do so. For now, he could only buy more traditional properties and rely on rental income to solve the financial problems of the academy. Fortunately, the gains from Shi Zhicong and others were not bad, and buying properties to maintain the academy would also be sufficient.

  Cai He nodded and didn't ask any questions. Wang Jingfan's family assets were none of his business, and if it weren't for this unusually large academy, Cai He wouldn't have paid any attention: "See you again, in the future if the academy encounters any difficulties, as long as I can do something about it, I won't decline."

  Wang Jingfan smiled and said: "At that time, I will not be polite either. It's just that this road to the academy has not been repaired yet, and this matter still needs Brother Ruxin to pay more attention."

  "This is a small matter, previously in order to rush and let the children of the clan start school early, the allocation of manpower was slightly biased. Now that the children have started reading, this road will naturally be accelerated."

  The academy is about five or six miles away from Baisha Village, with only a narrow dirt road. Villagers use ox carts to transport bricks, stones and wood for building houses. If people ride on this road, they will suffer. Wang Jingfan and Cai Shu walked back to Baisha Village like this. Along the way, because Wang Jingfan was not familiar with Cai Shu, he didn't have an in-depth conversation. However, judging from his language and demeanor, it's clear that Cai Shu's learning is still good, and not being able to get a high ranking in the imperial examination is probably just bad luck.