Chapter 380: Ineffable

I have already made an arrangement with Wang Yang to rise in rebellion together and eradicate the traitors—we from within, the court from—

Not Father!!! When????

Yu Yu Qianlou nearly leapt out of his seat, his voice cracking with shock!

Just now.

Just—what???

Yu Yu Qianlou froze, eyes wide, mouth agape, feeling more confused by the second.

Seeing Yu Yi turned his tea cup slowly, his expression utterly unruffled by his son's panic, speaking calmly:

Wang Yang's words carry two layers of meaning. One is the surface meaning—no need for me to explain, that's what you and Tao Rui heard. The other is the hidden meaning—

Hidden meaning?

Yes. Hidden meaning is the concealed intent. For instance, when Tao Rui said, 'The Prince draws his sword—who in Jingzhou dares resist?' I replied with a line from the Han Han Han Yuefu poem 'Climbing the High Terrace'—

Seeing Yu Yi looked at his son, fell silent, his eyes probing.

Yu Yu Qianlou had long memorized this poem. This question had festered in his mind for a long time! (See Chapter 328, 'Riding the Horse') Now that his father finally revealed a hint, he immediately replied:

Climbing the high terrace, the pavilion. Below flows clear water, cold and pure; the river holds fragrant herbs, their eyes upon orchids.

Seeing Yu Yi nodded in approval:

Correct. This line ostensibly describes the serene view from the terrace—a calm, composed response to his threat of force. But its hidden meaning replies to Tao Rui.

Tao Rui said the Prince of Badong draws his sword and no one in Jingzhou dares resist.

My interpretation says otherwise. From the terrace, two things are visible: clear water and fragrant orchids—these refer to Wang Yi and Wang Yang.

The envoy was ambushed; Wang Yang foresaw it. After the ambush, neither Wang Yi nor Wang Yang was seen alive or dead.

Though I know not their plan, I know they lie outside the Prince of Badong's calculations.

Only when outside his calculations can one calculate him.

Clear water flows unseen, yet can become a raging torrent; the orchid's fragrance rides the wind, piercing through countless mountains.

Thus, though the Prince of Badong's blade is sharp, there may yet be those who dare to meet it.

Only later did I learn of Wang Yi's troop mobilization—today, I have seen Wang Yang himself!'

Yu Yu Qianlou's eyes gleamed, his face filled with reverence; he bowed deeply, clasping his hands:

Father, you perceive the subtle and discern the hidden, weave cunning phrases, craft words with artistry—I am far beneath you!!!

Seeing Yu Yi smiled and waved his hand:

My hidden words came easily, because when I spoke them, I never intended anyone to understand—so no artistry, merely casual allusion. But Wang Yang's hidden words differ—

They must sound like a grand, eloquent appeal to surrender, words flowing like a river, swords of reason, never deviating from righteousness, rich in literary splendor; yet conceal their intent beneath the surface, hide meaning in the subtle.

They must prevent the unobservant from catching on, yet not let the observant miss it!

Thus, when heard, his words must seem ordinary, so the listener feels no suspicion;

yet when absorbed, they must echo in the mind, so the discerning may trace their meaning.

And moreover, he must also respond to my words...'

Seeing Yu Yi tilted his head slightly, as if savoring the many layers of Wang Yang's words, his eyes filled with admiration and wonder, mixed with puzzlement—as if he could not fathom how Wang Yang achieved this—and finally shook his head:

Difficult, difficult, difficult... If Wang Yang's hidden meaning had only one layer, I could match it. But he set two, interlocking, perfectly concealed and revealed—such talent is beyond reach...

Two... two layers???

Yu Yu Qianlou had never seen his father praise anyone so highly; now hearing this, his shock deepened!

He himself had caught not a single layer—and there were two???

Seeing Yu Yi explained:

Correct. Wang Yang's hidden meaning has two layers: one is the oblique phrase.

Oblique phrase means intent is subtle, words are twisted.

I won't elaborate on this—figure it out yourself. Though hard, it's not impossible.

The Spring and Autumn's argument for state survival: 'Strengthen the interior, repel the exterior'; the rhetoric of adapting to circumstances; Zu Ti striking the oar in determination.

Who is the divine strategist? Which force did he scatter? Which throat did he choke? Whose loyalty did he secure?

Many, many examples...

Simply shift your perspective, reverse Wang Yang's stance, and reread his words—you'll see each character bears a hidden meaning, each sentence points elsewhere. Reserved, sheathed in silence, intent profound...

Yu Yu Qianlou's rigid posture relaxed slightly, his panic receded, but his mouth remained open, stunned—not only by his father's analysis, but by Wang Yang's words!

He replayed Wang Yang's earlier words as his father advised—and the more he thought, the more he heard hidden resonance, the deeper the lingering aftertaste, as if words ended but meaning stretched endlessly.

Seeing Yu Yi did not rush on, sipping tea slowly, giving Yu Yu Qianlou time to absorb. When Yu Yu Qianlou finally came to himself, he hurriedly refilled his father's cup and voiced his doubt:

Father is right. The key to hearing oblique phrases lies in perspective. Change perspective, and meaning changes. But how do we know our chosen perspective is correct? How do we know Wang Yang's true stance? How do we avoid overreaching, misinterpreting?

Seeing Yu Yi was pleased his son grasped this:

You're right. Words admit dual interpretations; meaning can be inverted. The speaker holds a position; the listener seeks something.

Good words may sound evil; evil words may be read well. Deep probing may be excessive; shallow understanding may be biased.

Precisely because their intent is unfixed, their meaning unbound, even if partially understood, it causes no harm.

This is the advantage of the oblique phrase.

But it has a flaw: even those of like mind may doubt their interpretation, uncertain whether their heart truly aligns with his.

Hence Wang Yang added a concealed cover to fix it—this is the second layer of his hidden words...

Yu Yu Qianlou did not understand:

Concealed cover is...

Not concealed cover—concealed covering. The 'covering' as in heaven covering earth.

Have you heard of 'covering and guessing'? A game favored by sorcerers: place an object under a covered vessel and guess what lies beneath.

This is covering one thing with another.

Wang Yang covers one word with another.

His true meaning lies hidden beneath his covering words—no word needs changing.

If oblique phrases can be misread, concealed covering is fixed. Even if one accidentally guesses right, they cannot guess right every time.

Wang Yang's concealed coverings are numerous—I dare not claim I've decoded them all. But from the five I have deciphered, I am certain they are intentional, not accidental.

First, let me recount the first.

I asked Wang Yang if he knew the Prince of Badong was rebelling. In his reply, he first spoke of the Spring and Autumn, then called the Prince a 'majestic dragon.' Did you find that odd? Where does 'majestic dragon' come from?

Uh...

Yu Yu Qianlou could not answer.

So I told you to read more poetry. This allusion comes from a Spring and Autumn poem. Some say by Jie Zitui, others by Zhou Zhiqiao—the wording varies. Wang Yang used: 'A dragon majestic, suddenly lost its place. One snake follows, circling the world.' The dragon symbolizes the Prince of Badong; the snake is Wang Yang's self-reference. The next line fits: 'The dragon returns to its abyss.' 'Dragon returns' is the key phrase.

Recall my question: 'Do you know the Prince of Badong is rebelling?' The two words 'dragon returns' are Wang Yang's clear stance—he knows the Prince is rebelling. The next line: 'One snake, dried, alone without place'—the dragon and snake part ways, again showing they are not aligned—

Yu Yu Qianlou: (⊙ロ⊙)

—Once you grasp this concealed covering, you'll understand Wang Yang's references to Spring and Autumn's righteousness and 'strengthen the interior, repel the exterior' more deeply. Hence I say Wang Yang's hidden words are interlocking: one layer is concealed covering, one is oblique phrase, mutually reinforcing. He first speaks of Spring and Autumn's great principle—to honor the Son of Heaven, stabilize the realm—while simultaneously planting the clue for the 'majestic dragon' concealed covering, guiding me toward Spring and Autumn allusions...

Yu Yu Qianlou sat stunned!!!

You... you can do this???

'... After I understood his stance, I said his talent for persuasion resembled Li Shi, asking if the Prince of Badong had another Li Shi among his ranks. I too used a concealed covering—but clumsily, without clues, awkward. Since you study Han history, can you guess what I concealed?'

Yu Yu Qianlou was still dazed, his mind blank!

How could he know what his father concealed!

And you yourself said you left no clues! Where would I—

Seeing Yu Yi knew his son couldn't guess, and gave the answer directly:

Li Shi doesn't merely persuade—he can be an inside agent. The Records of the Grand Historian, 'Biography of Li Shi and Lu Jia,' says: 'I am on good terms with the magistrate; let me go persuade him to submit to you. If he refuses, you may attack—I will be your inside man.' This was Li Shi's beginning as Lord of Guangye. So when I asked if the Prince of Badong had another Li Shi, I meant two things: one, is he an inside agent? Two, is he acting alone or with others?

Yu Yu Qianlou felt terror!!!

Seeing Yu Yi, however, grew animated, his usual calm expression now vivid:

'... I feared Wang Yang might not catch it, but he replied, 'Li Shi need not be numerous,' yet this alone didn't prove he understood—it might be a surface answer. He feared I'd think he missed it, so he added four words: 'Wind and thunder dazzling,' then said, 'Acting with the times,' then added, 'Master, though lofty and upright.' These three phrases conceal the same line from Yang Xiong's 'Tai Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Xuan Jing'—【85】 'Thunder and wind dazzling, acting with the times, yin to the northwest, yang toward the southeast; within, there is response, without, resisting lofty uprightness.' He quoted the beginning and end, omitting the middle—to tell me two things. First, 'within, there is response' means inside agent—he admits he is the inside agent. Second, 'yin to the northwest, yang toward the southeast'—northwest is Jingzhou, southeast is Jiankang. He treats Jiankang as yang, Jingzhou as yin—affirming legitimacy, predicting victory. Yet he never revealed how many inside agents there are...

"Thunder and wind shine brilliantly, acting in harmony with all things; yin resides in the northwest, yang favors the southeast; though internally there is response, externally it meets defiance and steadfastness," he singled out this line, leaving only the middle part, to convey two things to me. First, "though internally there is response" means an internal ally—he admits he understood my veiled message and confirms he is the insider. Second, "yin resides in the northwest, yang favors the southeast"—the northwest is Jingzhou, the southeast is Jiankang; he treats Jiankang as yang and Jingzhou as yin, clearly affirming legitimacy while indicating victory or defeat. Yet in the end, he still never revealed how many insiders there were...

Yu Yu Qianlou was speechless! These two were actually conversing!!!

No—they were conversing, and within their conversation, another conversation!

As for 'never revealed how many inside agents'...

Father, even if he said it outright, it wouldn't be 'outspoken'!!!

'... I still wasn't sure, so I said success isn't merely about timing—what if timing changed? Meaning: is this inside agent reliable?

He replied with an ancient tale: Zu Ti rose at the crow of the rooster, campaigning northward to the Central Plains. At first I thought this was merely oblique speech, expressing loyalty and resolve. But when he suddenly returned to family and lineage, I found it odd—thought he was reminding me the Prince of Badong meant business, lives at stake. Then, hearing 'the dead cannot be revived,' and linking it to his earlier words about men—suddenly I realized: this too was concealed covering! Concealing Ban Gu's 'Ode to History'—【92】 'The dead cannot be revived. Submitting a memorial to the court, recalling the ancient song of the rooster!' Again, he cited the beginning and end, using the middle to convey meaning: 'submitting a memorial to the court!' Wang Yang's meaning: he is an inside agent, but not alone—he has submitted a memorial to the Son of Heaven! Hence the poem's next line: 'The morning wind carries a stirring sound'—'Yang' refers to himself! The concealed covering is exquisite...

"The dead cannot be brought back to life. Submit a memorial to the imperial court, ponder the ancient song of the rooster's crow!" Again, he pointed to the outer lines while using the middle one to convey meaning—namely, "Submit a memorial to the imperial court!" Wang Yang's meaning: his role as an insider was not solitary—he had submitted a memorial to the Son of Heaven! That is why the poem later includes the line "The morning wind raises a stirring sound"—"Yang" refers to himself! The veiled message is exquisite...

Seeing Yu Yi sighed in admiration; Yu Yu Qianlou remained frozen like a statue...

'I heard he had communicated with the Son of Heaven, and felt encouraged—but feared time was short! So I said the road is long, asking about his chance of success and his chance of sending the memorial. After all, distance means time is short, and the Son of Heaven doesn't accept memorials just because one wishes it.

He replied: 'The court's doubt is resolved by divine calculation,' then said, 'Sailing downstream, repelling foes on river and lake, sails racing forward.' The oblique phrase means his message travels swiftly, with careful planning. Simultaneously, it conceals Pan Yue's 'Elegy for Duke Wu of Tai': 'Thus the court's doubt is resolved by divine calculation, suppressing rebellion, repelling foes on river and lake.' Again, he cites the beginning and end, concealing the middle: 'suppressing rebellion'! This means he and the court are coordinating to crush the rebellion!

Yu Yu Qianlou: ("゜ロ゜)"("゜ロ゜)"("゜ロ゜)"

Seeing Yu Yi swept his sleeves aside, his spirit alight, as if suddenly younger:

Hearing this, I was thrilled and began speaking of troops—raising private forces to aid the rebellion, a grave taboo!

He replied: 'If noble families do not send troops, how can they show loyalty? How can they earn merit?'

To whom do they show loyalty? Naturally, the Son of Heaven.

What is the point of earning merit? To earn merit while bearing guilt!

This is the only path for aristocratic families after surrendering from rebellion!

Then he quoted, 'Chariots roll, banners flutter,' which alludes to the 'Chariot Departing' from the Book of Songs, Minor Odes; the next line is, 'The Son of Heaven commands me!' — thus his memorial must contain a plan to mobilize troops in response, and he is confident the Emperor will approve! This also aligns with the earlier meaning of autonomous command—'

Yu Yu Qianlou grew increasingly 'chilled to the bone'; he felt his poetry studies were inadequate, so much so that he could no longer even understand the words! He murmured:

'Without studying the Odes, one cannot speak.' The Sage truly did not deceive me...

Seeing Yu Yi had always wished to encourage his son to devote himself more to poetry; now he nodded with satisfaction:

'Precisely —'

He suddenly fell silent.

Could Wang Yang know my strengths and weaknesses, and thus calibrated the difficulty, making these most crucial allusions just within my ability to unravel? So these allusions draw from poetry or history — the sole exception, the Tai Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Huan Xuan Jing, is because I once enjoyed metaphysical discourse (see Chapter 76) — is this considering my strengths?!

(Seeing Yu Yi excelled in poetry and history; Yu Yu Qianlou inherited his father's historical studies but not his poetry, a family tradition. Hence Seeing Yu Yi had his younger son read the Book of the Later Han, and mentioned he himself had reread the Records of the Grand Historian and the Hou Hou Han Shu (see Chapters 42 and 43). Thus Seeing Yu Yi often deliberately guided his son toward poetry, saying, 'If you delve into Han history, you must not neglect Han poetry,' and tested Yu Yu Qianlou on the Eighteen Ballads of Han Han Han Yuefu alongside the Hou Hou Han Shu: Debates (see Chapter 328), intending for his son to cultivate both poetry and history as he himself had. Yu Yu Yuling, however, rejected the family tradition and studied only Confucian doctrine, making him seem somewhat out of place at home. For this reason, Seeing Yu Yi charted different paths for his two sons: the eldest began his career as a local official and had already risen to mid-level provincial rank; the second entered the commandery school before advancing to the National Academy, aiming for a central government path.)

The more Seeing Yu Yi thought about it, the more convinced he became!!!

The father and son fell silent in unison, both sinking into a 'chill to the bone'...