Chapter Fourteen: The East Mountain Rises Again

  After enlightenment, Wang Shouren worked as a farmer in the mountains for two years. During this period, he developed his own philosophy and became a famous mountain philosopher, known far and wide. At that time, officials from the Guizhou Education Bureau often invited him to give lectures, and some people even came from Hunan specifically to hear his lectures.

  But these did not change his circumstances until Liu Jin's death.

  Wang Shouren finally waited for a day to get ahead. In the fifth year of Zhengde (1510), he was appointed as the magistrate of Luling and was about to set out on his journey to take office.

  For three whole years, this was the most important three years of Wang Shouren's life. Here, he learned the secret answer and possessed endless power and wisdom.

  He cast a last glance at the place that had given him the most important revelation of his life, then crossed over the rugged mountain passes, walked out of the gate and saw the daylight again.

  When I rise again, there will be no one in the world who can match me.

  Wang was promoted to Wang County Magistrate and finally able to work openly, but just seven months later, he was ordered to report to Nanjing and became the head of the Ministry of Punishment. Before he had time to warm up his chair at the Ministry of Punishment, he was transferred again to Beijing, this time as the head of the Ministry of Personnel, then as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Stables in Nanjing, and finally as the Minister of the Imperial Reception Office in Nanjing.

  In 1516, he became the Left Supervising Censor of the Office of Surveillance and was ordered to inspect southern Jiangxi.

  He's turned his life around, this time he's really turned it around. In just six short years, he went from being a nobody to becoming a third-rank official, truly a miracle in the world of officials.

  But there are no miracles in officialdom, he was able to be so smooth on his career path because two people were supporting him behind the scenes.

  One of them was Yang Yiqing, and the other was Wang Qiong, the Minister of War.

  Yang Yiqing had met Wang Shouren before, and his many years of experience in the Jianghu told him that this person was a rare talent, capable of shouldering great responsibilities, so he paid close attention to him and deliberately promoted him.

  And another Wang Qiong is even more interesting, this person has a very bad reputation, is good at flattering and building relationships, he has a good relationship with Qian Ning and Jiang Bin (Qian Ning and Jiang Bin are sworn enemies), often doing things that a gentleman would be ashamed of.

  However, he is an out-and-out good man and a capable person.

  Bad people flatter to do bad things, good people flatter to get things done. So for Wang Qiang, flattery is just a technical means, and has nothing to do with moral character.

  Wang Qiong took charge of the Ministry of War, utilizing the great power in his hands to promulgate many policies beneficial to the state and abolish numerous unreasonable systems. Every time he made a suggestion, it was always approved.

  Because Guan Shi's Qian Ning and Jiang Bin are his buddies, the brother's memorial naturally signed and sealed at the first time.

  And when he first saw Wang Shouren, he expressed his own thoughts in one sentence:

  "If this man is employed, the whole world will be at peace!"

  He fully exercised his power and unprecedentedly promoted Wang Shouren in a row, ignoring others' ridicule and speculation, because he knew that what he did was right.

  In the first month of 1517, Wang Yangming formally arrived in Jiangxi and began to perform his duties as a touring inspector. However, upon arrival, he found that the situation was vastly different from what he had imagined.

  Originally, Wang Qiong privately said that he was assigned to arrange grassroots training and would be fine after a transfer. However, when Wang Shouren arrived at the local area, he discovered that his jurisdiction was then producing a special product - bandits.

  Wang Shouren finally came to his senses. As he was about to leave, Wang Qiang's old and cunning face and strange smile suddenly appeared before his eyes.

  Your Excellency, you're really being unreasonable.

  But philosopher Wang Shouren was not afraid of difficulties. In those years, he was not afraid to farm in Guizhou and help the poor, so why would he be afraid of fighting bandits?

  It wasn't until later that he realized these bandits were not as simple as they seemed.

  They are not only numerous and powerful, but also brave in battle, with a keen sense of information. What's even more frightening is that behind them seems to be a strong force secretly supporting them.

  Wang Shouren saw this point, he did not rush to send troops, but carefully studied the past examples of suppressing bandits, and finally found a very strange coincidence: that is, every time the government army launched an attack, it was either in vain or ambushed. Rarely able to engage in combat.

  How could bandits possibly know about the actions of government troops? There is only one answer - a mole, there are bandit moles within the government.

  Wang Shouren decided to deal with these people.

  Soon after, he suddenly issued a command, stating that recently they would concentrate their forces to annihilate the bandits, and launch a surprise attack, ordering each military camp to make preparations.

  However, everyone waited anxiously for a long time but did not receive the order to start the war. At the same time, some colleagues around him suddenly disappeared and were released again, with each looking flustered, and no matter how they were asked, they would not speak.

  This was Wang Shouren's trick. He first spread the news and then sent people to monitor the officials of all levels in the yamen, noting down those who went to inform on others. After they returned, he secretly arrested them all. But his most clever move was that he didn't kill any of these people. Instead, he first gave them patriotic education, then asked about their family addresses and members, and made some threatening remarks such as "I hope your mother and children are in good health, we will visit them frequently".

  Under the soft and hard means, these people obediently answered as the underground spies of the government office, becoming double-faced spies.

  The bandits were caught off guard and many of their leaders were captured in one fell swoop.

  Wang Xunfu was not yet satisfied, he decided to take this "Jiangxi Bandit Record" to the end, and took out his ultimate move - the Ten House Method.

  The so-called "Ten Households Law", in simple terms, is a collective responsibility system where ten households form a unit and take turns patrolling every day. If something happens, everyone will be held accountable together. This move was really ruthless, making local bandits not dare to return home during the New Year, and could only hide in the deep mountains, gnawing on tree bark while cursing Wang Shouren.

  Bandits also have dignity, they can no longer tolerate it, if soft doesn't work then use force!

  Rather than being toyed with by Lord Wang until I die, it's better to get up and fight back.

  Unfortunately, Master Wang is indeed someone who doesn't take kindly to either soft or hard tactics.

  The poor bandits did not know that Mr. Wang Shouren was usually called "Four Families" by later generations:

  Great philosopher, military strategist, politician and literary figure.

  He deserves all these titles.

  What is called a military genius, is someone who doesn't need to attend military school and can still wage war with just a pirated copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Wang Shouren belongs to this type, he not only knows how to fight, but also fights with flair.

  His military tactics can be described in two words - cunning and strange.

  Other people's battles are nothing more than advancing when the enemy retreats, retreating when the enemy advances, fighting when strong and fleeing when weak. But Wang Zhe's approach was vastly different; he never clashed head-on with his enemies, always using tactics of deception, attacking from the east while making a noise in the west, going north while the enemy went south, often leaving his foes bewildered and disoriented.

  It's not just that he doesn't play by the rules, what's even more interesting is that this brother has an irrational habit, no matter how weak his forces are, he dares to go to war, if he doesn't have enough soldiers, he plays dirty tricks, digging pits and laying ambushes, it's a common practice for him. What's even stranger is that even when he has an absolute advantage, surrounding the opponent like an iron barrel, he never easily launches an attack, if time permits, he will always starve them half to death, luring the opponent to break through, entering the ambush circle, before launching a general offensive.

  Essentially, with these few moves, even an immortal would be beaten to death by him.

  To be fair, in daily life, Wang Circuits is indeed a straightforward and honest person, but once on the battlefield, he will immediately become more cunning than the most cunning merchant and more cruel than the most cruel tyrant.

  The bandits in Jiangxi will soon face this Lord Wang, what a miserable bunch they are.

  The bandits soon formed an alliance, gathered their forces and prepared to fight to the death with Wang. Some of Wang Shouren's subordinates were worried and advised him to make early preparations, but Wang was not concerned at all:

  "Let's just settle it together and be done with it, also saves me from going to find them, what else can we prepare?"

  The bandits also heard this remark, they felt that their personal dignity was not recognized and were relatively angry, but this also meant that Wang Shouren looked down on them and would not take action for the time being. For them, this was a good opportunity to prepare.

  In fact, bandit friends should remember a truth that during wartime, Mr. Wang Shouren's words need to be understood in reverse, otherwise you'll be sold out and still help count the money.

  Just as they were hiding in the deep mountains to rest and recover, Wang Shouren suddenly mobilized the main force of his army to launch a major attack. The bandits were caught off guard and were blocked in the southern Anhui mountainous area, all of them were wiped out.

  Wang Shouren surrounded them, but suddenly didn't move, ignoring them as if it wasn't his doing. The bandits were anxious and didn't have enough food to eat. Are you going to fight or capture? Show your attitude!

  There's no other way, the desperate bandits are preparing to break through.

  But just as they launched a charge at the encirclement, a large number of cavalry suddenly appeared in their rear, cutting off their retreat route. They fell into Wang Shouren's long-set trap once again and were quickly defeated. Most surrendered, while a small portion fled.

  After this battle, Wang Shouren really became famous. Those who escaped and returned spread the word that Director Wang had grown eight heads and nine arms, and was so fierce that he was unstoppable. So the remaining bandits got together and decided that this Yan Wang was not to be trifled with, and it would be better to surrender for now and temporarily submit, since Director Wang would eventually leave anyway, and they could cause trouble again later.

  In this way, the leaders of the bandits went hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to the provincial governor's office, expressing their willingness to submit to government management and become good citizens.

  This trick is actually not bad, but it's really not going to pass muster with Lord Wang.

  Because Master Wang had a good habit - checking files. Before suppressing the bandits, he had already figured out their backgrounds and knew who was sincere and who was not.

  The bandits were delighted to see Wang Daoren treating them with courtesy, thinking they had fooled him. However, within two days, Wang suddenly turned on them and killed several of the men who had previously surrendered to the imperial court. These old rascals held no interest for Wang Shouren. (If this method were widely adopted, Zhang Xianzhong would have lost his life long ago.)

  Killing a chicken to scare the monkey, this move is used, and there's no one who dares to make another move, so fake surrender turns into real surrender.

  Thus, the Jiangxi bandits who had been troubling the imperial court for over a decade, repeatedly causing unrest and never being completely pacified, were thoroughly eliminated. Mr. Wang Shouren solved the problem in just a few months through a combination of military force and clever tactics, including deception and persuasion.

  The Jiangxi bandit suppression record is not remarkable in Ming Dynasty history, but for Wang Shouren, it has a special significance.

  To know that generally, those who do philosophy in history, usually meet two conditions. First, their IQ must be excessive, and the mentally weak or foolish are prohibited from entering (except for those who pretend to be foolish). Second, they must have eaten enough and have nothing better to do (if you can't even eat enough, what's the point of doing philosophy?).

  Philosophy has such a high threshold because it is the foundation of all sciences in the world. If you are capable enough, theoretically, any subject can be done well. For example, Mr. Qian Xuesen repeatedly said that he was able to develop missiles and satellites and continuously produce research results due to his long-term study of Marxism-Leninism.

  I don't dare say for others, but at least Mr. Wang Shouren meets these two conditions. He has become a philosopher, and this group of bandits from southern Jiangxi have provided him with another opportunity - an opportunity to break through.

  As time went on, Wang Shouren finally discovered that just understanding philosophy was not enough. Talking about "Xin Xue" all day had no effect, and "Xin Xue" could not drive away bandits. He vaguely felt that in order to connect theory with practice, succeed in establishing a career, and handle affairs, another mysterious tool was needed.

  After experiencing the desolation of the wilderness, the loneliness of being unvisited, and the joy of enlightenment, Wang Shouren once again arrived at a critical juncture. During his two years in Jiangxi, due to the prevalence of bandits everywhere, he could only travel extensively on official business to suppress bandits, without time to study his philosophy.

  Heaven did not treat Wang Shouren unfairly, it was during these two years of gold armor and iron horses, beacon fires burning in the sky that Wang Shouren gradually found such a tool and mastered it.

  With this tool, he was able to surpass many of his predecessors and become a sage in philosophy.

  With this tool, he can achieve brilliant martial arts and be admired by later generations.

  With this tool, his philosophical ideas were widely accepted by people all over the world, spreading far and wide across the seas, and enduring for thousands of years.

  Later generations of famous ministers Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng also relied on this tool to establish their achievements, leaving a name that would last for thousands of years.

  The name of this tool is called "Unity of Knowledge and Action".

  The relationship between knowledge and action is a fundamental issue in the history of Chinese philosophy, which has been debated from the Hundred Schools of Thought to Sun Yat-sen, spanning thousands of years, with countless arguments and disputes, yet remaining unresolved.

  I can't solve it either, but I can explain.

  It's actually a theoretical and practical problem. Some people think that knowing is easy but doing is difficult, while others believe that knowing is difficult but doing is easy.

  For example, Zhu Shengren (Zhu Xi) advocated that knowing is difficult and doing is easy. This is also understandable. According to his method of categorization, enlightenment is very difficult, but implementation seems to be very easy.

  It's hard for everyone to imagine, but that's just how it is. It has been going on for over a thousand years and still hasn't stopped today.

  At this moment, Wang Shouren stood out and shouted loudly:

  It's important to understand the principle, but actual application is also important!

  The real meaning of this sentence is: To achieve a lofty and great goal, we must have practical and down-to-earth methods.

  This is by no means just a sentence, but a profound wisdom of doing things and living life, which can make people benefit from it all their lives. So it looks easy to understand, but in fact it's not easy to understand at all.

  More than twenty years later, two people read his book one after another, and both saw the sentence "Knowledge and action are unified". One person understood it, while the other did not.

  The person who understood is called Zhang Juzheng, and the person who did not understand is called Hai Rui.

  Four hundred years later, a young man saw this sentence and admired it so much that he took it as his lifelong behavioral guideline and changed his name accordingly - Tao Xingzhi.

  Ominous omen

  Wang Shouren, who had realized the unity of knowledge and action, no longer indulged in empty talk about theory and philosophy. The cruel reality made him understand that relying solely on preaching and the Four Books and Five Classics could not solve problems. To make the bandits put down their knives, the best method was to use firearms.

  With this idea in mind, Wang Shouren is about to face the most difficult test of his life.

  He was puzzled by these bandits, who were neither seen nor beaten, and yet they dared to be so arrogant and operate on such a large scale. When interrogating the bandits, he finally found the answer to this question - Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao.

  There is no doubt that these bandits have the shadow of Zhu Chenhao behind them, and as a vassal king, they are in cahoots with thieves, which cannot be understood as going deep into the masses.

  The county magistrate pulls relationships in order to be promoted to prefecture governor, the attendant minister pulls relationships in order to become a prime minister, and the vassal king pulls relationships in order to...

  Wang Shouren soon found the answer, the only possible answer.

  The situation was getting serious, he immediately ran to find Sun Bing.

  Sun Fu, then serving as Governor of Jiangxi, was a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang. Not only was he Wang Shouren's fellow townsman, but also his best friend in the same dynasty.

  At that time, Wang Shouren was only the governor of southern Jiangxi (Gannan), and his main task was to suppress bandits. Such a big thing, he couldn't make decisions on his own, so he had to find Sun Bi.

  However, when he ran to the governor's mansion and found Sun Bing, who was out of breath and told him about the matter, he only got a strange reaction.

  Sun Yan listened with a wry smile until he finished speaking, then let out a sigh and only said one sentence:

  "Brother, you're just realizing this now?"

  This time Wang Shouren was stunned.

  In the tenth month of 1515, Sun Dian, the administrative commissioner of Henan, received an imperial decree promoting him to be the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Right in the Office of Scrutiny for War. This should have been a cause for celebration, but Sun was not overjoyed.

  Because there was another appointment - as Jiangxi Provincial Governor.

  Jiangxi was a place of death for officials in the imperial court at that time.

  Just a few years ago, Jiangxi Governor Wang Zheglorious took office, but soon he suddenly died mysteriously. The imperial court sent Dong Jie to replace him, but after only eight months, Dong Jie's brother also died under unclear circumstances. The next two governors didn't even last a year before they packed up and left on their own accord, preferring not to be officials rather than stay there.

  The high-ranking officials of the imperial court all knew in their hearts, but did not speak out.

  Having taken someone else's money, it's naturally hard to speak out.

  But Jiangxi can't be without someone going, and I don't know which kind-hearted brother has a feud with Sun Bing, and actually recommended him. Sun Bing was thus pushed to the edge of the cliff.

  "But Sun Bin replied: 'I'm going!'"

  He called his wife over and told her about his last wishes, his wife was so scared that she asked him what's going on. Sun Bin just sighed and said:

  "This time I'm going to die there."

  "In that case, can't we just not take this official position and leave?"

  "When the country is in trouble, one should come forward and sacrifice oneself for the nation. How can one decline?" Sun Yat-sen replied with righteous words.

  He dispersed all his servants, settled his family, bid farewell to his wife, and brought two book boys with him, thus embarking on a journey from which he would not return.

  After arriving in Jiangxi, he was unexpectedly warmly welcomed by the Ning Wang, who not only sent him money and goods but also frequently visited him in person, showing great enthusiasm.

  But Sun Quan refused, returning the gift and declining the visit. This was because he understood that if he accepted someone's things, he would have to do something for them in return. What Ning Wang wanted him to do was called treason, and now that he had accepted the gift, in the future he would have to pay with his head.

  However, soon after that, he found that the people around him were monitoring himself. No matter what he did, Ning Wang would always know in advance and sometimes even deliberately reveal some of his secrets. Even his residence was often visited by suspicious personnel.

  Facing all this, Sun Bi did not yield, he still stayed here without fear.

  Because staying here is his duty.

  Looking at this stubborn guy, Ning Wang was very headache, and under the helplessness, he could only make a secret move. He sent someone to send four things to Sun Bing - dates, pears, ginger, and mustard.

  Sun Biao smiled when he saw these things, and he understood what Ning Wang meant - leave the border early.

  What happened next was beyond Ning Wang's expectations. Sun Bian ate these special "gifts" very generously, but didn't move at all.

  In such a treacherous environment, Sun Bi endured alone for four years, and now he finally has a comrade-in-arms - Wang Shouren.

  However, when the two of them joined forces, they realized that they had no chance of winning. It turned out that although both were provincial governors, they were just empty shells. Wang Shouren didn't have any troops under his command because during the Ming dynasty, provincial governors did not have the power to command armies and needed to go through central approval before mobilizing troops. Governor Wang usually only had a few militia organizations under him, which was barely enough for maintaining law and order, let alone going into battle.

  After a thousand hardships and ten thousand difficulties, they finally found an organization, but the organization was also helpless, and the two fellow townspeople fell into silent despair again.

  Sun Bi and Wang Shouren were at a loss for what to do, but Ning Wang was just getting into his stride.

  The Tragedy of Genius

  From Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao's actions, he has always followed this life motto: the foundation of a great rebellion is talent.

  From historical data analysis, this brother has ambition but not high IQ, many things can't be solved. To make up for his weakness, he hangs out a high salary recruitment sign and recruits talents extensively in society.

  As a result, many people came to the door, but after the interview, Zhu Chenhao found that most of them were mixed and drunk, and there were almost no talented ones. Only one named Liu Yangzheng was barely qualified, so he decided to appoint him as the chief assistant for the rebellion.

  Later, there was a man named Li Shi Shi, who had previously served as a servant, but later resigned and returned home. Zhu Chenhao felt that he was also good, so he recruited him back together and arranged for him to re-employ.

  But these two people could not satisfy Zhu Chenhao, he was very puzzled, where did all the talents go?

  They all went to take exams and become officials.

  Comrade Zhu Chenhao was born at the wrong time. You see, talented people are a scarce resource and only during the chaotic years of Zhu Yuanzhang's reign would they run around trying to make a living. In a peaceful and prosperous era, who would risk their life to rebel with you? It's better to focus on studying and earning a good reputation, this is the true path.

  Take a look at the two talents under his command, one is Liu Yangzheng, who was born into a family of imperial scholars and failed to pass the imperial examination. He relies on reading a few military books to claim that he is familiar with military strategy and tactics, but apart from being able to talk nonsense, he has no other use.

  There is also Li Shi, who can no longer mix in the imperial court and has returned home to idle around with Ning Wang. It's said that apart from nodding his head and raising his hand in agreement, he hasn't done anything else.

  It's just these two goods, and they're actually being raised by him as if they were a dragon and a phoenix, quite an eye for talent.

  Actually, Zhu Chenhao knew he lacked talent, but he had no way out. Just as he was worried and frowning, someone told him that a real talent had been found in Suzhou, and if this person joined, the great cause would be successful.

  Zhu Chenhao was overjoyed and prepared to personally send someone to invite this person.

  It's embarrassing to say, but this person has been put on the back burner by us for a full twenty years, now it's time to bring him out.

  Bo Hu brother, come on stage!

  Twenty years ago, Tang Bohu went to Beijing for the imperial examination and ended up with a miserable outcome. After being released from prison, he had thought of picking himself up and returning home to live a peaceful life. However, when he returned to his hometown, he found that everything was beyond his expectation.

  The villagers who once welcomed him with a smile had changed their faces, and apart from contempt, his servants no longer respected him, sometimes even daring to scold him loudly. His wife not only didn't sympathize with him but also often spoke ill of him.

  What made him even more miserable was that even Wangcai, the dog guarding the door at home, barked loudly and chased after him to bite when he saw him.

  This is no joke, the above description comes from a letter written by Tang Bohu to his friend, every word is a cruel fact.

  In the face of cruel reality, Tang Bohu was thoroughly desperate. He no longer believed in the words of saints and sages, nor did he continue to study diligently by the window. He had already lost his qualifications for being an official, what's the point of reading books anymore?

  Falling from a height of thousands of feet, suffering endless discrimination and humiliation, from then on he had no dreams, no pursuits, he only needed one thing - the pleasure of intoxication.

  From then on, he began to wander around in famous brothels all over the country. Due to his exceptional writing skills, he captivated many courtesans and even had many people come to him voluntarily, willing to pay for his services, which was quite a miracle.

  The title of a romantic and talented young man began to spread from this moment on, after all, being carefree and indulgent in the midst of flowers is what many people dream of, but they don't know that behind Tang Bohu's smiling face is endless sorrow.

  Just when Tang Bohu was at the lowest point in his life, Zhu Chenhao came to his side and stretched out a hand - pushing him into an even lower valley.

  Receiving Zhu Chenhao's invitation, Tang Bohu was overjoyed at first. Even if he couldn't be an official, being a teacher for the king wasn't bad either. And Zhu Chenhao's courtesy also made him feel that he had finally found a wise lord.

  However, he soon discovered that Zhu Chenhao was not a good leader. He often contacted some unscrupulous bandits and rascals, hoarded a lot of grain and weapons, and frequently looked at the national map with a sigh, clenching his fists in indignation.

  Isn't this going to cause trouble?

  Although visiting a brothel has a bad reputation, it's just for fun, but this is a matter of losing one's head, so let's get out of here quickly.

  Tang Bohu has food to eat and brothels to visit, he doesn't have the revolutionary consciousness and demands like Zhu Zongba, he just wants to make a living.

  The question is, just because you want to leave, can you really leave?

  Having let you see so many secrets and knowing the inside story, how can I bear to let you go without leaving your head behind?

  At the age of 49, Tang Bohu faced a threat to his life and once again burst into a spark of wisdom. He decided to learn from his predecessors' experience - pretending to be mad.

  Only by pretending to be mad can he make Zhu Chenhao believe that he has seen nothing, and even if he has seen something, he will not speak out, and even if he speaks out, no one will believe him.

  Tang Bohu is indeed a talented scholar, and his pretending to be crazy also has style, much better than Yuan Ke who ate dog feces back then, because he came up with an ultimate trick - streaking.

  Really willing to spend money.

  From then on, Brother Bohu abandoned traditional ideas and resolutely went all the way, walking naked everywhere, seeing big girls and going up to silly smiles, often shouting slogans: "I am a noble guest of Ning Wang!"

  He made a big fuss, the whole city of Nanchang was disturbed, many people came out to watch the excitement, Zhu Chenhao's face was lost, he was furious and hastily ordered to send this old man back to Suzhou, not to lose face here.

  Tang Bohu finally escaped from the tiger's mouth and let out a sigh of relief, but while celebrating his survival, he had completely lost hope in life.

  His life afterwards can be described in four words: completely degenerate.

  Day and night drinking and revelry, indulging in music and beauty, ruined his body, but also made his art. His poetry, calligraphy, and painting were not bound by rules, especially his figure paintings, which were considered unparalleled for three hundred years.

  But that was all, four years later (Jiajing 2, AD 1523), this genius in Chinese cultural history ended his bumpy life and returned to eternal silence.

  Sometimes, I also watched TV dramas based on Tang Bohu, watching how he outsmarted corrupt officials, watching how he married a beauty, these plots were often very funny, but no matter what, every time I couldn't laugh.

  Because in my mind, what has always been lingering is the real Tang Bohu, that spirited and vigorous young man, that talented but unfortunate middle-aged man, that disheartened and disappointed old man.

  That is the soul who struggles painfully in despair and is utterly desperate.

  Only that peach blossom song still speaks his heart, lingering for thousands of years, never dispersing.

  Others laugh at me for being too crazy, I laugh at them for not seeing through.

  No grand tombs of heroes in sight, no flowers or wine, just fields and farms everywhere.

  Farewell

  Zhu Chenhao saw off Tang Bohu without any sorrow or worry, and he was now gathering his spirits to prepare for his own rebellion.

  Wang Shouren and Sun Bian's ambiguous relationship did not escape his eyes. For these two people, he had always been a headache. As for Sun Bian, Wang Shouren was also a legendary figure, and in the future, if they were to take action, these two would be the most powerful enemies.

  They should think of a way to solve it.

  But for now it's the most critical stage of rebellion, after all there are two governors, if we secretly send someone to get rid of them, I'm afraid it will cause trouble, but if we let it go unchecked, it doesn't seem quite right either.

  At this time, Liu Yangzheng raised a doubt and interrupted Zhu Chenhao's thinking.

  "What if they report the situation here to the imperial court?"

  Zhu Chenhao looked at Liu Yangzheng with a worried expression and suddenly smiled:

  "Don't worry about this."

  As they were talking, he suddenly came up with an idea:

  "Go find someone to inform Sun Bi and Wang Shouren, I want to meet with them."

  Sun Bi and Wang Shouren were also discussing countermeasures, after careful analysis of the current situation, Wang Shouren made a scientific prediction for our prospects - a dead end.

  Sun Yan fully agrees with this view.

  The emperor can't be counted on, and Zhu Houzhao doesn't have the time to deal with these matters. The few favored officials who can get messages to the emperor won't do it without being paid off. And according to the latest news, the eunuch in charge of the Jiangxi garrison has also been bought off by Zhu Chenhao.

  It is now in a state of complete "three noes", with no soldiers, no generals and no one in charge.

  Surrounded by Zhu Chenhao's men, with no escape from the heavens or the earth.

  This situation has a specific term in military strategy - "absolute ground".

  "Then let's directly petition the imperial court and cabinet." Wang Shouren proposed what seemed like the only feasible suggestion.

  However, Sun Biao shook his head and asked in return:

  "Is it useful?"

  Since Zhu Chenhao began recruiting and buying horses, from the officials to the local officials at all levels, the number of people who informed him was countless, but not a single person could bring him down.

  Why?

  Apart from having a favorite minister Qian Ning to protect him, that person in the Imperial Cabinet also had an unclear and inexplicable relationship with him.

  As for that person, Wang Shouren was not unfamiliar with him, and he understood Sun Bing's meaning.

  The only way seemed to be blocked too, and Wang Shouren fell into deep thought again.

  Suddenly his eyes lit up and he had an idea:

  "Let's write a letter and send it to the imperial court instead."

  Sun Wei was getting a bit impatient:

  "Haven't I told you it's useless?"

  "You misunderstood, it's not for the cabinet, but sent to someone else."

  Wang Shouren's face revealed a cunning smile.

  "I just want one thing."

  Zhu Chenhao's envoy arrived and informed them that Zhu Chenhao had invited them to dinner, and they must attend.

  Wang Shouren and Sun Biao exchanged a glance and immediately agreed.

  The date of this banquet was roughly in the fourth or fifth month of Zhengde 14 (1519), and the final showdown was imminent, with both sides set to engage in a last-ditch battle before the big confrontation.

  Unexpectedly, the banquet began in a harmonious atmosphere. Zhu Chenhao seemed to be concerned only with asking Wang Shouren if he was accustomed to life here and whether he lacked daily necessities. Wang Shouren made polite responses but did not relax his vigilance because he knew that this banquet would never be so simple.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, soon after, Zhu Chenhao rebelled again.

  He furrowed his brow and sighed, saying:

  "The Emperor is always on tour, and state affairs are also neglected, how can this go on?"

  Wang Shouren was stunned. This was a very taboo phrase, and Zhu Chenhao had actually said it out loud. Was he trying to lay his cards on the table?

  Before he could react, a person next to him suddenly stood up and said loudly:

  "Is there really no Tang of Shang and Wu of Zhou in this world?"

  This sentence was too fatal, Wang Shouren immediately turned around to find the speaker, and then he found the retired attendant Li Shi who was full of anger.

  It's come to this point, can't help but counterattack now.

  Wang Shouren sat motionlessly, calmly continuing the sentence:

  "Tang Wu's rebirth also needs Yilü."

  The man behind the scenes finally appeared, and Zhu Chenhao continued to answer:

  "Tang Wu reborn, must have Yilü!"

  Wang Shouren still had that calm expression:

  "With Yiyu, why worry about having no Bo Yi and Shu Qi?"

  Upon hearing this, Zhu Chenhao's neck turned red and he was speechless for a long time.

  This is a conversation that's not too easy to understand, so let me explain. The people they're talking about, such as Tang Wu and others, are all famous figures from the Shang Dynasty, but I won't introduce them one by one here. If I translate this passage into my language, it would roughly be like this.

  "Is there nobody who dares to revolt?!"

  "There are people who rebel and also need a capable helper." — This means that you, Li Shi, don't have any real ability.

  "If someone dares to rebel, there will certainly be powerful helpers!"

  "Even if you have a powerful assistant, there will always be loyal ministers in the country!"

  The translation is: If someone spoke like this today, they should be taken out and taught a lesson.

  The atmosphere of the banquet suddenly became tense, and neither side spoke a word, silently confronting each other.

  At this time, Sun Fu suddenly stood up and thanked Zhu Chenhao for his warm hospitality.

  Everyone felt relieved, and Wang Shouren took the opportunity to bid farewell, and this tense dinner party came to an end.

  Zhu Chenhao had originally wanted to use this banquet to sound out Wang Shouren's intentions, and he basically achieved his goal.

  Wang Shouren and Sun Bian, however, felt a strong murderous intent at the banquet, and they sensed that the blade of rebellion was closing in on them.

  The environment became even more treacherous, and people with unknown backgrounds began to appear in groups on the streets, wielding swords and knives. Local officials turned a blind eye, and no one intervened. Wang Shouren and Sun Bi were made key targets for protection, and their residences were closely monitored by Zhu Chenhao's men at all times.

  In this increasingly terrifying environment, Wang Shouren finally got what he wanted.

  The mysterious letter sent recently was received by Wang Qiong, the Minister of War, rather than the Grand Council.

  In the letter, Wang Shouren asked his former superior for one thing - a banner.

  The banner system was an institutional arrangement of the Ming Dynasty, which will not be elaborated here. We only introduce its function - to mobilize troops.

  Wang Shouren had taken the flag when he was suppressing bandits before, and then returned it afterwards. This can be considered as borrowing and returning, but it's not because Wang Shouren is a good person. In fact, his elder brother didn't want to return it, but had no choice but to do so.

  Because the Ming dynasty's imperial court absolutely did not allow localities to possess military power, all armies had to uniformly obey national central command.

  But in this environment at present, Ning Wang's rebellion is only a matter of time. Once something happens and we are not prepared, everyone will be finished together.

  So Wang Qiong made an exception and gave Wang Shouren the power to use the flag, Ning Wang was really too scary, there were people among the favored officials, in the cabinet, and many senior officials in the court had received his money. And Wang Shouren and Sun Dian had nothing.

  This is the only help I can offer, everything else you have to rely on yourself.

  Having obtained the permit and taken the flag, Wang Shouren was overjoyed. He excitedly ran to find Sun Bing.

  When he arrived at the Provincial Governor's office and told Sun Fu this news, his fellow townsman not only showed no joy but instead adjusted his official uniform properly and said something that Wang Shouren would never have dreamed of:

  "You'd better leave here."

  Wang Shouren was stunned, he was about to say something, but Sun Bing waved his hand and explained why he had to leave.

  "That thing (flag) hasn't been used yet."

  Wang Shouren suddenly enlightened.

  They are just two small patrol officers, while the other side is a feudal lord. They can't take the initiative to attack, so this thing can't be used for now.

  When can it be used then?

  It's very simple, it can be used when Ning Wang rebels.

  Rebellion is not a play on stage, when that time comes, Sun Bin who refused to surrender will definitely be the first victim.

  Wang Shouren thoroughly understood that Sun Fu's intention was that he would stay here on guard until Ning Wang killed him.

  It was only on the day of his death that the banner could be used, and Wang Shouren, who had escaped with his life, would take up this tool, rise in revolt, and put down the rebellion.

  Sun Fu held a desperate conviction and left his hope of survival to Wang Shouren, because he believed that Wang Shouren would definitely be able to complete the heavy task of pacifying the rebellion.

  All he had to do was die with dignity.

  "Then come with me." This seems like a win-win situation.

  "I am the imperial commissioner of Jiangxi province, this is where my duty lies, I will die here if need be!"

  Wang Shouren didn't say much more, he understood and respected Sun Bing's choice.

  He adjusted his clothes and hat, solemnly bowed to Sun Bi and bid farewell, then strode away.

  Facing Wang Shouren's gradually distant figure, Sun Bin loudly expressed his last wish in this life:

  "Wang Shouren (courtesy name: Boyan), farewell!"

  Wang Shouren heard this sentence, but did not turn his head back, because he knew that to repay this brave and fearless person, he still had many things to do.

  Sudden change

  Sun Fu's judgment was correct, because almost at the same moment, something happened in the court, which ultimately led to Zhu Chenhao's conspiracy being exposed.

  King Ning's Zhu Chenhao was once very confident, because he had bought off Qian Ning, Yang Tinghe and other powerful people in the court, thinking that his backstage was hard enough. However, he did not think that this move would offend an even more powerful person.

  This is Jiang Bin.

  Jiang Bin was a military general, accompanied Zhu Houzhao on his northern tour, and participated in many battles, earning the trust of Zhu Houzhao. This made Qian Ning unhappy, as his specialty was only flattering, while Jiang Bin had an additional skill, not only could he flatter, but also accompany the emperor to fight wars.

  One after another, the two people became enemies, looking for each other's weaknesses. Jiang Bin took the initiative to take advantage of Ning Wang's weakness.

  The news spread quickly and was reported by Roadside Club, becoming more widespread. Many people who were dissatisfied with Qian Ning also prepared to take advantage of this opportunity to give him a fatal blow.

  Just at this time, Yang Tinghe, who was always good at adapting to changing circumstances, also felt that something was wrong. If things went on like this, there would be big trouble on the Ning Wang's side, and he wouldn't be able to escape either. He decided to solve this problem.

  Under the joint efforts of everyone, Zhu Houzhao decided to send someone to warn Ning Wang and let him be honest.

  It turned out that Mr. Yang Tinghe was quite generous in receiving money and settling disputes for others, and he specifically instructed the envoy to just convey the meaning and not make a big deal out of it.

  To solve this matter, Yang Ting and Fei used their utmost efforts and ran around everywhere, thinking that they could achieve a perfect result without any flaws. Unfortunately, he still overlooked the crucial point:

  Mr. Zhu Chenhao's mental quality is not up to par.

  When the news of the emperor's envoy arrived in Nanchang, Zhu Chenhao was holding his birthday banquet. Upon hearing this, he was shocked and immediately stopped the banquet to discuss countermeasures with Liu Yangzheng.

  Facing Zhu Chenhao's expectant gaze, Liu Yangzheng was very calm and composed, making an objective and scientific analysis of the situation: The relationships in the imperial court had already been smoothed out, and no one had reported this matter before, but now a messenger was suddenly sent, which must mean that something big had happened. Immediate action must be taken, otherwise it would be impossible to ensure his safety.

  "Things are urgent, every minute counts, we should take action now!"

  Liu Yangzheng is a guy who makes people cry and laugh at the same time. He didn't study hard, couldn't pass the imperial examination, but he always acts like he's above everything. Mr. Yang Tinghe was a child prodigy, had excellent grades in exams, and had been in officialdom for twenty or thirty years. After much difficulty, he finally came up with a plan to turn a big problem into a small one, but this brother of his ruined it by insisting on making a big deal out of nothing.

  It seems that the imperial examination system is indeed a good institution after all.

  Zhu Chenhao was nervous, he believed Liu Yangzheng's words, which is normal, with his qualifications, he can also mix with people like Liu Yangzheng.

  He has made up his mind to rebel.

  But before that, Sun Yan must be dealt with first, this headache-inducing character.

  So he specifically chose the date of the rebellion - tomorrow.

  Tomorrow is the fourteenth day of the sixth month in the fourteenth year of Zhengde (1519), and on that day, Sun Fu and the officials from the Xunfu Gate will come to the Wang Mansion to congratulate him on his birthday. At that time, it will be the best opportunity to take action.

  The next day.

  Sun Biao brought his patrol team to Ning Wangfu, but as soon as he entered the mansion, he was shocked.

  At the birthday party venue, apart from the guests, there was another group of people who shouldn't have appeared - hundreds of soldiers wearing shiny armor and holding sharp blades.

  The sudden killing intent made Sun Bing shudder, and he realized that something might go wrong today.

  Soon, the protagonist of the banquet, Ning Wang, appeared. There was no joy on his face for his birthday, but rather endless sorrow.

  He cried with a sad face and began to tell everyone present about the cause of his pain:

  "Tell everyone, Emperor Xiaozong (Zhu Youjian) has picked up the wrong son!"

  Everyone is stunned, how did you know this explosive gossip?

  Ning Wang saw that everyone was intimidated and became even more pleased with himself:

  "It's fortunate that the Empress Dowager has found out. She has now issued an edict, ordering me to raise troops and punish Zhu Houzhao. That's all there is to it, everyone just needs to know."

  Go ahead and keep on bluffing then.

  Sun Bin was the first to react. By now, he didn't care about etiquette anymore. He ran two steps forward and stretched out his hand in front of Ning Wang:

  "What about the Empress Dowager's edict?!"

  Zhu Chenhao's eyes swept sideways, and his demeanor was no longer elegant:

  "Shut up! I'm going to Nanjing now, you'd better come with me!"

  Sun Wei finally lost his temper:

  "You're tired of living, aren't you?! You still want me to join you in rebelling?! Dream on!"

  Sun's reaction was swift, and after finishing speaking, he immediately rushed towards the door, but was stopped by the guards again.

  Zhu Chenhao was enraged by Sun Bin, but in an instant he had regained his composure and slowly walked up to Sun Bin, coldly expressing his anger:

  "Alright, I'll indulge you."

  At this moment, facing all of this, the reaction of the officials is really unbelievable. Except for the Vice Censor-in-Chief Xu Ke, who stepped forward and scolded Zhu Chenhao, everyone else maintained a surprisingly consistent attitude - silence.

  Zhu Chenhao waved his hand in disapproval and issued an order:

  "Take them both out of the city gate and behead them in public!"

  Then he looked at the remaining officials with disdain and asked intimately:

  "Who else?"

  What was waiting for him was still a dead silence.

  In the face of violence and death threats, silence is always the majority.

  Sun Biao and Xu Kui were dragged out like this, and Sun Biao was indeed a tough guy. Even with his hands tied up, he continued to scold without stopping. The cruel rebel army broke off his left hand, but still couldn't make him surrender.

  They were then taken to the outside of Huimin Gate, where executions took place.

  Sun Yan was not in the slightest flustered, and calmly said to Xu Ke:

  "It's come to this, and I've dragged you into it too."

  Xu Ke replied solemnly:

  "Loyalty to the country is my duty, how can you say such a thing?"

  Sun Yanxin smiled with relief and faced the direction where the figure had disappeared a few days ago, bowing his head to say his final words:

  "It's all up to you."

  After killing Sun Fu and Xu Kui, Zhu Chenhao began to handle the aftermath. His men immediately took advantage of the situation to occupy the provincial government office, taking over all defense matters within Nanchang City, everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

  Then he fully carried out the democratic spirit, sending people to register with officials in those provincial government offices one by one, conducting a public opinion survey, with only one item: whether or not to rebel together with me.

  Those who answered "yes" were immediately rewarded, while those who answered "no" were thrown into prison.

  The final result was a failure, and most people refused to follow him, not because they were particularly patriotic, but simply because they felt that following this gentleman in rebellion had no future.

  Things were roughly settled, and Liu Yang went to find Zhu Chenhao to report on the recruitment of personnel.

  Zhu Chenhao finished reading the list of personnel, but furrowed his brow.

  Liu Yang had just prepared to ask for instructions on the next course of action when Zhu Chenhao waved his hand to stop him:

  "One person is still missing."

  "He can't be far away now, send someone to chase him immediately and kill him without hesitation!"