Chapter 207 – Edification

Zhuang Zhizhan entered with a heart full of resentment, asking abruptly and expecting the Emperor to be infuriated by his disrespect, to scold him, or to order someone to drag him out. Instead, he saw the Emperor seated above, not answering him but reaching out to take the teacup on the table, slowly taking a sip, seemingly unperturbed.

A shudder suddenly surged through Zhuang Zhizhan’s heart. He remembered an old saying that the Emperor would only ridicule and berate those ministers to whom he was extremely close, sparing no face. If one was always treated warmly, it was highly possible that the Emperor had long lost interest in them, either banishing them to a cold bench or sending them away to work in some far-off place forever.

He suddenly bowed deeply, “Please, Your Majesty, enlighten me.” There was a sob in his voice.

He was originally blessed with a handsome appearance, and in his interactions with others, he always succeeded. Even those who did not see eye to eye with him found it hard to speak ill of him.

But Xie Yi paid no attention to these things. After some thought, he asked, “Do you feel aggrieved because you believe yourself loyal, speaking the truth even when it is harsh?”

Zhuang Zhizhan’s face was stubborn, “My loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon.”

Xie Yi smiled slightly and asked, “Whom does your loyalty lie with, Me, the Emperor, or anyone who sits on this throne?”

Zhuang Zhizhan was taken aback. What difference did it make?

Xie Yi looked at him, “You, Sir Zhuang, are My choice for the top scholar, a student of the Son of Heaven, naturally because your exam papers were exceptional, your writing spirited and refreshing, your style clear and ethereal, encompassing myriad phenomena, your insight lofty and refined, and your policy essays practical and pragmatic, which clearly demonstrated your understanding of My preferences.”

“But once you joined the Hanlin Academy, you failed to understand My intentions. Instead, you formed factions, schemed for personal gain, eliminated dissenters, and turned the Hanlin Academy, a place of pure learning, into a den of corruption.”

Zhuang Zhizhan’s eyes widened in disbelief at the Emperor’s harsh assessment.

Xie Yi continued, “The Marquis of Langhai established new-style schools. As fellow ministers, we should have been united, working together for the kingdom. But you pinned the crimes of disrupting the royal order and usurping power on him. You are so young, your writing fresh and noble, yet you are so proficient in these methods of attacking opponents and using others to do your dirty work. I never would have imagined this from you.”

Zhuang Zhizhan was full of grievance, shouting, “Your Majesty, ancient sages established laws and cultivated education. They made the three bonds correct and the nine categories orderly, so that the people lived in harmony, and all things followed their proper course. New-style schools will make the common folk view the imperial examinations as less important, which will lead to the collapse of rites and music, and the reversal of moral norms. Once the royal order unravels, the world falls into chaos, and wars break out across the land. Your Majesty, wise and brilliant, must know this cannot be allowed.”

Xie Yi looked at him, “If you do not hold yourself to strict standards, how can you expect others to? You attack heresy in the name of justice. But are you certain that your path is the true path? That it is just?”

“Heaven’s mandate is not constant; virtue decides who holds it.”

Zhuang Zhizhan was speechless, completely stunned.

Xie Yi said coldly, “The Zhou emperors promoted rites and education, ruling with ease, yet how did the Qin unify the six states? The Qin dynasty fell after two generations, and then came the Han dynasty, where Gaozu cut down the white snake. Following that, the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and other dynasties rose and fell, emperors succeeded and failed; this is the mandate of heaven, virtue deciding who holds it.”

Xie Yi asked again, “Back to My original question, Sir Zhuang, are you loyal to the throne, or to Me, the Emperor who is standing before you now?”

Zhuang Zhizhan flushed red. Xie Yi said coldly, “You can’t lie, Sir Zhuang, because you already have the answer in your heart.”

“You follow the norm of king and minister, maintaining rites and laws. It does not matter who sits on this throne.”

“Today, I am pragmatic and favor business acumen; tomorrow, another emperor might favor war and conquest. You all have clever ways to deal with us, binding the emperor with your methods of ruling with ease, making us listen to you, and giving you power. You are like lice living on the emperor, feeding off the people through the emperor. When you encounter someone questioning the three bonds and five constants, you label them as heretics and judge them with justice and norms.”

“This is why you fear the Marquis of Langhai so much, because they threaten your monopoly on the imperial examinations.”

Zhuang Zhizhan’s lips trembled. A ruler could be unrighteous, but a minister couldn’t be disloyal. He never thought that the ruler he served would be so rebellious against tradition. Since childhood, he had studied Confucianism, never imagining that the ruler he was loyal to would be like this…

His face pale, he had no defense, struggling to ask, “The Marquis of Langhai may be loyal, but he acts hastily, his thoughts are meticulous, and he is linking up with the imperial family, eunuchs, military officers, and foreigners. Why does Your Majesty trust him so much, yet doubt my loyalty?”

Xie Yi suddenly smiled faintly, “You have also read Confucius and Mencius. Mencius said: the people are most important, then the state, then the ruler.”

“The path they follow is My path. Since it benefits the country and the people, why should it be destroyed because it harms My authority? If I cannot protect the people and maintain the nation’s borders, what face do I have to sit on the throne? Not only that, but My future heir, if they cannot follow My path, will bring about their own downfall.”

He did not continue, because men like Duke Wuying and the Marquis of Langhai were loyal to him, relieving his burdens. If it was not him on the throne…they would certainly be traitors and rebels. But precisely because they chose him as their virtuous ruler, loyal to the core, then the virtuous ruler should protect them.

He looked at Zhuang Zhizhan, not explaining further, merely saying, “Scholars despise fate, you became a young top scholar, born into a prestigious family, too successful. Go and see the world.”

Zhuang Zhizhan suddenly crawled forward a step, raising his face, agitated, “Does Your Majesty think that because I was born into a prominent family and had a smooth life, I do not know the hardships of the common people? Therefore, you want to temper me, let me work in the provinces for a few years, so I can write better articles?”

Xie Yi looked at him, pondering, “‘A single star at the edge of the sky, guarding three parts of the moon beyond the clouds.’ I have read your ‘Random Thoughts on Reading,’ the lines you wrote late at night when you were still a child. Young as you were, your heart was resolute. And looking at your poetry, you occasionally showed insight into human nature when you were young, which is very rare.”

“When I met you during the palace examination, I saw a handsome young man, born into a prominent family, but your writing seemed to reflect a deep understanding of human nature, the warmth and coldness of the world; I found it strange. Looking at your policy essays, your views on the canal system, taxation, and governance were innovative, which is why I overrode objections and chose you as the top scholar.”

“But in recent years, relying on you as a pillar, you have schemed endlessly, obsessed with power struggles, and used all your intelligence to eliminate rivals. Your writing is splendid and beautiful, but it is like being adorned with scriptures and morals, lacking the spirit it once had. Keeping you in the Hanlin Academy has indeed harmed you. Why don’t you go and see the world?”

Tears almost fell from Zhuang Zhizhan’s eyes, but he still bowed his head, “Fan Mukun said, if Your Majesty is willing to see me, it means you still want to give me a chance. Allow me to report, I was indeed envious of the Marquis of Langhai being favored by Your Majesty, having great power but acting carelessly, betraying Your Majesty’s trust. I dare not defend myself on this point, but I believe the issue with the new-style schools isn’t just envy; please allow me to explain.”

“I was not born into a prominent family, living a life of luxury. My birth mother was a singer, redeemed by a young master from a prominent family and kept as a mistress in Yangzhou. Later, the young master suddenly died, and for several years, he did not come, cutting off our funds. My mother made a living by weaving and supported me in my studies until I passed the child exams at eight as a scholar, my name as a prodigy spreading far and wide. Only then did the Zhuang family take my mother and me back home, recording me under the name of the main wife, half-slave, half-servant, as the study companion of the eldest brother. It was not until my eldest brother suddenly died that I was truly recorded in the family register.”

“Your Majesty, I have indeed seen the various aspects of the world, the warmth and coldness of human nature. Since childhood, I knew that if I did not work hard to study, my mother and I would be bullied. I will not recount my past sufferings before Your Majesty.”

“My mother made a living by weaving cloth for many years. When new-style textile machines became popular and new-style textile factories opened, how many women who made a living this way lost their source of income? And those affected were not just women who wove cloth, but also peddlers selling cloth, and other craftsmen such as hullers and oil pressers, and so on.”

“To take the small to see the big, the Marquis of Langhai’s establishment of machinery factories temporarily solves the problem of the livelihood of the textile women in Jinhaiwei, but the cheap machine-made cloth will spread through convenient sea routes and canal systems to every province and county. Merchants will profit greatly, buying up land, depressing the prices of cotton yarn, silk, and hemp, and this will lead to civil unrest! We cannot ignore the suffering just because we do not see it.”

“It is the same with textile machines and everything else, like steamships now being used on the canals; fishermen who rely on boats lose their livelihoods. I have heard that the Canal Gang has caused trouble several times, and the provinces along the canal cannot bear the disturbance.”

Zhuang Zhizhan looked at Xie Yi, “Your Majesty, I am not indifferent to the people. I know that these Western things coming into our country are probably not well-intentioned. From now on, merchants, farmers, and workers will not be satisfied with their roles, but will only chase profits. Moreover, in this era of peace, Your Majesty values martial arts over literature. Now, military officers use warships and cannons to control silver treasuries, troops, and weapons; their power is too great. If they collude with foreigners, once they turn, moral norms will fall apart; how can they be controlled? Your Majesty, the previous dynasty closed the seas for a reason. You cannot just see the strength of Western ships and cannons, ignoring the internal turmoil that will arise. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!”

Xie Yi looked at him silently for a long time. Zhuang Zhizhan only bowed his head, “I knew of the local suffering early on, which is why I wanted to stand higher in power, grasp authority, and govern and secure the nation. If Your Majesty thinks I am still teachable, I request to be demoted to a seventh-rank official. From now on, I will repent, focusing on practical matters, and not coveting power.”

Xie Yi slowly said, “Sir Zhuang, this tactic of feigning weakness and advancing by retreating does not work on Me.”

Zhuang Zhizhan was stunned. Xie Yi said, “Sir Zhuang says that ordinary people losing their livelihoods will lead to civil unrest; seeing this is understandable. But given your intelligence, have you not seen that the Western countries, and even small countries like Crimson Moon, Silla, and the Southern Ocean Barbarian States, their technology in firearms and artillery is advancing rapidly. Even if we do not produce cheap cloth ourselves, do you think foreigners will not produce it?”

“Now, the money circulates among ourselves. If it leads to a lack of livelihood, then the Marquis of Langhai can find other means of livelihood for the people. If you are worried about price monopolies and land consolidation, you can suppress it through tax law and commodity prices. Since you understand taxation, you should know how to handle it comprehensively. But if foreigners come to dump these cheap goods, and money flows out, what can we do?”

Zhuang Zhizhan said, “We can close the maritime trade office, not allowing them to sell in our country.”

Xie Yi laughed again, “The maritime trade office now prohibits the sale of opium, but this time, Lionland brought a warship to our sea border without notice, without a letter of introduction, only allowing a captain to bring a treaty for a trading port. On it, they clearly want to sell opium, cloth, alcohol, and other items in our country. They have plantations, they have factories, they advance rapidly, they always need a place to sell. Our country has a large population, and the coastline is extremely long. Sir Zhuang, I ask you, if the other side brings warships and powerful cannons, demanding that we accept their dumping of goods, what would you do?”

Zhuang Zhizhan stammered, “We now also have warships and cannons…”

Xie Yi laughed, “But the technology is in other countries’ hands. If the dynasty does not cultivate talent, does not develop its own research, does not strive to catch up, there will come a day when we are too weak to resist; the country and people weak, how can we defend such a long coast? The training of the new army is not something that can be accomplished overnight. You have already predicted civil unrest due to a single textile factory in Jinhaiwei occupying the market. What will happen when external threats and internal worries arise at the same time? Can we only rely on benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness, clinging to the three bonds and five constants, to protect the state and the world?”

Xie Yi saw Zhuang Zhizhan’s momentum weaken, his face pale. He did not bring up the theory of no ruler to scare him, only saying indifferently, “There are constants in governing a country; benefiting the people is fundamental. We cannot cling to the old and refuse change. Think about the questions I asked you today. If you were the prime minister, what would you do? Is the Marquis of Langhai’s path the only one? Or do you have other methods?”

Zhuang Zhizhan was speechless.

Xie Yi added, “I know you do not want to be sent outside the capital. One reason is that it is difficult to return and compete for power; the second is that if your clan sees you as a castaway, your mother’s days will be hard. You know that I have always been cautious with killing, not punishing people for their words, so why not come to the palace and advise Me directly, burning your boats. If I rebuke you, you can go back and gather signatures, publicize it, and you will get a good reputation. Even if you are demoted and leave the capital, you will still be a scholar with integrity, criticizing the government. Accumulate experience in the provinces, and there will still be opportunities for promotion in the future. Isn’t that right?”

He laughed coldly, “You, a literati who wants to climb up by stepping on Me, I have been on the throne since childhood; if I have not seen a hundred, I have seen eighty. Even Li Meiyao wouldn’t dare to pretend in front of Me. What are you?”

Zhuang Zhizhan felt his heart, liver, and lungs laid bare by the Emperor, embarrassed and unable to speak.

But Xie Yi said again, “Out of pity for your mother and son’s misfortunes, if you do not want to be sent outside, I also have a place for you. Demoted to a seventh-rank official, enter the Ministry of Rites as a clerk, assisting Fan Mukun in supervising the construction of the Nine Categories Academy; choose for yourself.”

“You are currently a fifth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy. If you are sent outside, you will still be the parent official of a province, overseeing the province, governing and educating the people, and you will have the respect of scholars. Make achievements, and there is still a chance to return to the capital.”

“I will not force you; you can think about it and submit a memorial later.”

Zhuang Zhizhan thought about Fan Mukun warning him to choose carefully. When Fan Mukun was sent outside, it was said to have surprised many people. But when he returned, he gained the Emperor’s favor…

Should he follow the path the Emperor initially gave him, honestly going outside the capital? If he stayed in the capital, demoted and starting from scratch, he would have to work under others, relying on others’ favors, and he was likely to be ridiculed by colleagues. The task would be to construct new-style schools, which would invite criticism from scholars across the country. The memorial in his bosom, which he had prepared to gather signatures for, seemed to burn his ribs, and sweat poured down his forehead.

He suddenly bowed his head, “I do not need to consider it; I am willing to be demoted and stay in the capital, assisting Minister Fan in supervising the construction of the new-style schools.”

Xie Yi was somewhat surprised, “Sir Zhuang, you will not go back and think about it?”

Zhuang Zhizhan said, “I am not saying that the Marquis of Langhai’s path is correct, but I am willing to seek other feasible methods through practical work. Since Your Majesty wants subjects who are loyal only to you, I will strive to be one.”

Xie Yi stared at him for a moment, saying, “Your determination and adaptability are indeed among the best of My ministers. Duke Wuying is suspicious and skilled in strategy, but not as adept at enduring as you are. Li Meiyao is resolute, but not as adaptable and deceptive as you. He Zhiqiu also loves fame and profit, but he still has a conscience, unlike you, who can make decisive decisions in times of crisis.”

Zhuang Zhizhan, despite Xie Yi’s sarcastic evaluation, did not change his expression, but blurted out, “Compared to the Marquis of Langhai?”

Xie Yi laughed, saying nothing.

Zhuang Zhizhan somehow heard disdain in that laugh, flushing red.