Chapter 30: Questioning

Wang Yang said, "Yes."

"The Master is not receiving guests." The Confucian scholar flipped through a scroll, not even glancing at Wang Yang.

Seeing the scholar slight Wang Yang, the strong man stepped forward and said, "My young master is of the Langya Wang clan."

The scholar still did not look up, merely saying airily, "Even the Lanling Xiao clan wouldn't do."

Wang Yang was startled. The Lanling Xiao clan was the surname of the Southern Qi imperial family! This was only because it was the Six Dynasties period; if this were the Qing Dynasty, saying something like "Even the Aisin Gioro clan wouldn't do" would certainly lead to being punished for a crime.

The strong man, unable to swallow his anger, said, "The Prince is also of the Lanling Xiao clan."

The current Inspector of Jingzhou was the fourth son of the reigning Son of Heaven, Prince of Badong, Xiao Zixiang. Whenever people in Jingzhou said "the Prince" without specifying which one, they generally meant him.

The titles of Southern Dynasties princes were "fief-based," meaning they only drew from the tax revenue without having the right to govern the fief. Their actual power depended on their official rank.

Thus, although Xiao Zixiang was the Prince of Badong, he had little connection to Badong Commandery. Now that he was garrisoning Jingzhou, and given that his uncle, the Prince of Yuzhang, had also once garrisoned Jingzhou, and Xiao Zixiang had been adopted as a son by the Prince of Yuzhang, these layers of relationships gave the people of Jingzhou a unique sense of closeness to the Prince of Badong.

The strong man meant: You brag that the Lanling Xiao clan won't do, so if our Jingzhou's number one figure, the Prince of Badong, came, would you not let him see the Master either?

The scholar said indifferently, "In the halls of learning, we order by seniority and virtue, not by noble rank."

The strong man did not understand this sentence; in any case, he did not believe this bookworm would truly dare to block the Prince.

Wang Yang, however, knew this was a tradition among some scholars. Not ordering by rank meant they did not rank according to official position; in other words, what they respected was "seniority" and "virtue," not the Prince's official title.

Wang Yang had always been talented in debate; if he wanted to refute this statement, he could do so, but he was unwilling. He stopped the strong man who was about to step forward to argue and bowed to the scholar: "I have a letter here; I would trouble you to pass it to the Libationer."

The scholar did not look at Wang Yang nor return the bow, responding perfunctorily: "I am not a messenger. The Master said: 'Do not concern yourself with matters outside your position.' The *Book of Changes* says: 'The superior man does not let his thoughts wander outside his position.'"

He first cited the *Analects*, then the *Book of Changes*, meaning he should not manage things outside his duties.

Wang Yang responded: "The Master said: 'The superior man brings about the perfection of others.' The *Book of Changes* says: 'Possessing a sincere and kind heart, do not ask, for it is supreme good fortune.'"

It was likewise first citing the *Analects*, then the *Book of Changes*, meaning the sages said one should help others.

Only then did the scholar put down his book and look up at Wang Yang: "Wanting to use the Langya Wang clan's name as a lobbyist?"

"What lobbyist?"

"If you are not a lobbyist, why do you seek my Master?"

"To discuss learning."

The scholar laughed: "You are not worthy."

Wang Yang was not angry, asking calmly: "Then what would count as worthy?"

"I will pose three questions. If you can answer them correctly, I will announce you; but if you cannot answer them, never set foot at the gate of our Commandery School again!"

Wang Yang extended his right palm, facing upward, making a martial arts gesture common in television dramas, and said: "Please."

"Come quickly! Senior Brother Yu has blocked someone!" Seven or eight students inside the gate called to their friends, arriving with quick steps.

"The *Analects, Xue Er Chapter* says, 'A disciple, when at home, should be filial, and when abroad, respectful to his elders; he should be earnest and truthful, love all, and be intimate with the virtuous. If he has energy to spare, he should study literature.' Thus, literature is the most trivial matter. Yet the *Shu Er Chapter* also says: 'The Master taught four things: literature, conduct, loyalty, and truthfulness.' And it places literature in the first position. Why is this?"

The scholar finished in one breath and looked at Wang Yang, his eyes full of provocation.

The students nodded repeatedly, all feeling this question was tricky.

Wang Yang thought for a moment and replied: "The former is the order for a disciple to practice after receiving instruction. The latter is the order for a teacher to educate a disciple."

The scholar's smug expression suddenly stalled.

Wang Yang continued: "Literature is the classics of the former kings, and virtue is naturally nurtured within them. First study 'literature' to cultivate 'conduct,' and only after 'conduct' is cultivated can 'loyalty and truthfulness' be preserved. After preserving loyalty and truthfulness, a disciple should naturally take cultivating virtue as the foundation, being filial at home and respectful abroad, loving all and being intimate with the virtuous. If one cannot even do these, what is the use of specializing in literature? Thus, among the four subjects of the Confucian school, moral conduct is first, and literature is last; however, when teaching disciples, one should take literature as the entry point. Just like fishing, one borrows the fishing rod to catch fish; what is there to doubt?"

So that was it!

The students nodded one after another, secretly marveling at this person's clever thinking.

The scholar was also startled, thinking to himself that it could actually be explained this way!

This question was originally one he used to make things difficult for people; even he himself did not know the answer. He did not expect this young master to actually answer it! And he answered with reason and evidence; the Langya Wang clan's family learning was indeed extraordinary!

The scholar immediately put away his slighting heart and asked seriously: "How many instances does the *Spring and Autumn Annals* record of feudal lords moving their capitals on their own?"

Wang Yang closed his eyes and calculated mentally; the students also began to discuss the question in low voices.

The scholar waited for a while and sneered: "If you can't think of it, go back. Our Jingzhou Commandery School is not a place anyone can enter."

The strong man said: "My young master has not yet answered; how do you know he can't think of it?"

"Do you expect me to wait until dark just because he is thinking until dark?"

Seeing Wang Yang close his eyes and remain silent, the strong man worried he was stumped, so he said: "It is inherently unfair for you to pose the questions! You prepared the questions in advance! But my young master has to think of them on the spot! If you let my young master pose the questions, I guarantee you won't be able to answer even one!"

The scholar did not refute this point: "If I were to visit him, he could also pose the questions, but now—"

"Seven instances," Wang Yang said, opening his eyes.

The scholar was startled and pressed: "Which seven?"

Wang Yang smiled: "Is this the third question?"

"Naturally not; asking how many instances means you must explain which ones they are. In case you are just guessing—"

Wang Yang did not wait for him to finish and replied: "The State of Xing moved to Yiyi, the State of Wei moved to Diqiu, the State of Cai moved to Zhulai, and the State of Xu first moved to Ye, then to Yi, and a third time to Bai Yu, and a fourth time to Rongcheng."

A look of horror flashed across the scholar's eyes, and all the students fell silent!

The scholar regrouped and asked again: "The *Zuo Zhuan* records the State of Jin moving to Xintian, and the State of Chu first moving to Zhu, then to Yi; why does the *Spring and Autumn Annals* not record these three?"

The way of learning has always been "it is easy to explain why something exists, but difficult to explain why it does not."

Asking why the *Spring and Autumn Annals* did not record them, whether answering that "the *Spring and Autumn Annals* might have forgotten to record them" or using "the matters were too numerous to record all" as an excuse, both belonged to the realm of personal speculation and naturally could not be taken as accurate. That was why the scholar chose this difficult question as the finale, swearing to completely block Wang Yang outside the Commandery School!

This time Wang Yang did not even think, saying directly: "Actually, the *Spring and Autumn Annals* has always not recorded the moving of capitals by various states on their own, only recording those forced by external powers. The State of Xing moving to Yiyi was forced by the Di people; the State of Wei moving to Diqiu was the same; the State of Cai moving was forced by the State of Wu; the State of Xu moved four times, three by the command of Chu; only the move to Ye was to avoid the dual pressure of Zheng and Chu, but it was still done after obtaining the consent of the State of Chu in advance."

Wang Yang glanced at the stunned scholar and students and continued: "The above seven instances were all moves not intended by the feudal lords. The *Spring and Autumn Annals* only records the moving of capitals without pointing out 'forced move,' firstly because it does not approve of feudal lords moving capitals on their own without reporting to the royal house. Secondly, it does not want to let the Wu, Chu, and barbarian tribes have their way. This is precisely the principle of 'honoring the king and repelling the barbarians' that runs through the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, which is what is called 'subtle words with great meaning'!"

The crowd stood stunned in place, silent for a long time; Wang Yang did not urge them, just waiting quietly.

The strong man felt more and more that he had followed the right person, looking at Wang Yang standing tall and upright, his white clothes fluttering, thinking to himself: With the young master's talent and character, he should wear such beautiful clothes!

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Note: The titles of Southern Dynasties princes represented the tax revenue of the fief, but they could not enjoy all the tax revenue of the fief. In the Western Jin Dynasty, it was "one-third," with the remaining two-thirds handed over to the imperial court. By the time the Eastern Jin Dynasty's territory was halved and there were strong enemies in the north, it could only be "one-ninth." Do not feel that "one-ninth" sounds a bit small; in fact, taking one-ninth was already enough to live a quite luxurious life. This does not count the other income of the princes.

The fiefs of Southern Dynasties princes were generally around two Battalion Commander. Of course, depending on the poverty or wealth of the fief, the specific income still varied greatly. Emperor Wudi of Southern Qi doted on his youngest son and once said, "The good commanderies are all gone, so I will enfeoff him with Xuancheng," meaning that the good fiefs had all been enfeoffed, so he had to enfeoff Xuancheng Commandery to his son.

Xuancheng was within Yangzhou, and Yangzhou was the province where the capital was located, meaning he wanted to take a commandery within the capital region to enfeoff. So when everyone reads Southern Dynasties history books and looks at the prince's title, they can actually see whether he is favored or not. To avoid reducing national taxes, the places where the Son of Heaven enfeoffed princes were generally in remote and underdeveloped areas in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, such as Badong Commandery, which was not a good fief. ===== CHAPTER 31 =====