Chapter 502

Lu Tong and the second son of the current Yang clan head were once classmates; he had his attendants, while they were resting, go check who was in the carriage.

Unfortunately, there was no opportunity; all the way until they entered the city and saw the other side's tea break did he see two young gentlemen and an elderly man. Lu Tong saw they were not old friends, and wasn't too disappointed; he thought Yang Jie's fellow also lacked such curiosity.

But the young gentleman who got off last actually had a bearing not inferior to that of the Xie clan's qilin child.

"The Yang clan's bearing and manners truly live up to their reputation." That young gentleman inexplicably looked familiar; Lu Tong considered the possibility that he was Yang Jie's son, then tossed the thought aside as unlikely.

Since they met Lu Tong, he got off the vehicle to say hello, and incidentally reported the current address of the Lu clan; communication being inconvenient, he and Yang Jie had lost contact for a long time.

After drinking tea, everyone who needed to know knew: the elder was of the same generation as the old head of the Yang family, a paternal uncle called Yang Sheng. The outstanding one of the two young gentlemen was the eldest legitimate grandson of the clan head, Yang Fang; the other was a branch cadet, said to have previously studied at the Qingyang Academy.

After returning to the carriage, Lu Tong thought about what he had previously said to A Xiu; it was practically a self-fulfilling prophecy. He dared to guarantee that the branch cadet with good learning was the one sent to test the waters for the imperial examination.

"Haha~ It seems these old fogies have little confidence in changing the Northern Border King."

However, Yang Sheng had originally been invited by various acquaintances to bring his two nephews northward; he never expected that, along the way, he would realize he had truly underestimated the Northern Border.

Since entering the Northern Border's territory, this old man kept asking himself whether he had been out of touch with the outside world for too long.

They had marched north from High Level Pass in a swaggering manner; when the soldiers questioned them, he merely snorted through his nostrils and said they were going north to stop the Northern Border from carrying out whatever messed-up imperial examination. The conspicuous Hongnong Yang clan crest, the three masters old and young, the guards openly exploited loopholes; nobody thought they were moving into the Northern Border, not even stopping them.

Or rather, they couldn't afford to provoke them. These days, the one who least regards these great clans is the Northern Border King.

They knew full well what state Great Jin was in, but after entering Luoshui Pass everything changed. It wasn't that entering the Northern Border would be prosperous like another world; after passing Luoshui Pass it was still the same desolate bleakness, the losses Ningde Emperor suffered in his northern campaign have never been recovered, and to top it off the northern population and economy were inherently inferior to the south's. But they didn't have the south's chaos! In any case, once past Luoshui Pass you no longer see crowds of refugees gathered together.

Their first shock came from the majestic Luoshui Pass; Yang Cheng also counts as well‑traveled, he had been to Yumen Pass in its heyday, and upon seeing Luoshui Pass now he found it even more magnificent than Yumen, making it hard for him to picture what the Shan Yang Pass in the Western Regions, built by the Northern Border, must look like.

The Northern King is really generous—even if the laborers worked for free, the materials alone would cost a fortune!

Luoshui Pass readily let them through upon hearing they were there for the imperial examination; Yang Fang asked whether they'd also let refugees in without restraint, and the reply was that refugees had to be quarantined for a few days before being assigned to designated resettlement spots. Indeed, once inside the pass there were no wandering refugees to be seen, and Yang Fang began to admire the Northern Border's responsibility—it was far neater than the several commanderies they'd passed.

On the way further to Youzhou they found that the Northern Border's people were still poor, but their emotions were steady, without the panic of famine years. Later they learned the Northern Border's grain prices were under government control—grain could only be bought in limited quantities, not allowed to rise in price, completely unlike the ever‑changing grain prices in the south.

You're saying the Northern King just forbids price hikes and they won't rise? Would the aristocrats and wealthy merchants really obey that?

Even the tea‑stall helpers know the Northern Border's laws are harsh: anyone who dares to hoist grain prices, the Northern King doesn't care whether you're aristocrat or commoner—aristocrats and plebeians share the same guilt. Once caught, the punishment ranges from death to being flayed.

Yang Fang began to admire the Great King—this method works, it's harsher than anything in Chang'an.

After entering Yizhou they were even more astonished: the imperial highways inside were wide and flat, a scale that even Hongnong lacked, let alone Chang'an's main street, which paled in comparison.

Yet such a fine highway sees hardly any traffic for long stretches, and everyone assumes the Northern King built it to enable rapid troop movements.

In fact, the Black Wind Horses prefer to run on grasslands, so this levelled highway is actually a boon for the logistics and baggage trains.

The Yang family didn't know which road was nearest, so they wandered at will into Youzhou; Yang Cheng wondered how well the Northern Border's highways were built, not knowing what the county's other roads were like. As Youzhou city came into view they deliberately went to Shui River and circled it once, discovering that the other roads there too were paved with flat, black coal slag—an outstanding feat in Great Jin's urban construction, though at the time they still didn't know what coal slag was.

In the first month Youzhou was bitterly cold; after the Yangs inspected the towering defenses and glanced at the Taotie Tower nearby, they could no longer deny that the Northern Border had a real knack for infrastructure.

Yang Fang felt that Youzhou's trade in foreign goods was truly profitable, and this idea reached its peak when they paused at the entrance of Zhuque Avenue.

Setting aside the various shops lining the streets, he saw that the mobile stalls outside Zhuque Avenue all used iron furnaces burning honeycomb coal. Though coal was sold in Hongnong, few bought it—commoners preferred cheap firewood, aristocrats favored high‑grade charcoal, and transporting this coal and honeycomb coal added freight costs that made it rather expensive; it was also his first time seeing coal‑burning stalls set up on the street.

By the time they arrived here the sun was already setting, and they fortunately caught the moment when Zhuque Avenue's lights were switched on together. Yang Fang stood at the dimly lit end of the avenue, stunned for a while, then laughed: 'Who says the northern lands are barren? Youzhou's prosperity rivals that of Jiangnan.'

Meanwhile Yang Cheng snorted, 'What a shame, forgetting one's roots!'

Lu Tong returned to the city still thinking that after tomorrow's morning audience he could drop by to say a word to the Great King; Lord Yang Ming had personally come to Youzhou, and the southern aristocrats' reaction to the imperial examination was no small matter. He merely wanted to remind the Great King, not realizing that the Great King and the Yang clan were also related by marriage.

Who would have thought that before he could even send a covert message, the Great King had already gone out and learned even more detailed intelligence.

Fang Yiguang told him that just about everyone had arrived, and the action would take place in three days—on the tenth day of the first month—when a crowd of elderly scholar‑officials planned to seize the Southern Plaza outside the Northern King's mansion for a sit‑in protest, to see whether the Northern King dared to drive them to death.

The Great King swallowed, his thought being—'Dare.'

In his heart the Great King arrogantly crossed his arms, thinking, 'Whoever doesn't dare is just a puppy!'

This king needs no support or voice from the scholar‑officials—no matter your fame, no matter whether you live or die, if he wants something, the Youzhou iron cavalry will clear the path for him!

His silence led Fang Yiguang to misunderstand, 'Are we being a bit excessive? I've heard the Northern King is just a short, chubby kid; this sort of thing must have been proposed by the court officials, and we're pressing him…

'As for the imperial examination, Mr. Xie is fully in charge—perhaps he's the one really driving it. Mr. Xie is a scholar renowned throughout the world, always holding the welfare of all under heaven in his heart, not following vulgar trends; maybe he believes that reforming the examination could change the current scholar‑commoner structure, giving Great Jin a sliver of hope.' The magnate's vision and breadth are surely far above his.

After he said all that, the Great King couldn't hear a thing; his ears kept replaying 'short, chubby kid', 'short, chubby kid'…

In the Great King's heart he had already smashed ten or eight inkstones!

This world can't be fixed!

"Where on earth did you hear this rumor? I've heard the Northern King is a tall, handsome man!"

Ling Yin, who was posing beside the statue: …

The Great King solemnly rebutted himself, 'Many people in the Northern Border have seen the Northern King; I heard locals in the tavern say he's thin—thin as a bolt of lightning!'

Hongnong lies not far east of Chang'an, and the rumors Fang Yiguang has heard also stem from the Great King's earlier trip to Chang'an. He thinks it doesn't matter, and laughing at the Great King's joke he says, 'Well, we've never seen the Northern King ourselves; we're just repeating street gossip.'

The Great King was furious: 'You lot spread this talk—doesn't it hurt me terribly, being called fat all through my youth?'

He stood up, turned around, and asked anxiously, 'So, in your view, am I fat? Short? You Hongnong folks don't have some special judging standard, do you?'

Fang Yiguang looked at this young lad, still childish in his nervous expression, studied him carefully, and had to admit that though the young Master Tao hadn't fully matured, his features and bearing were outstanding; with such a foundation it's hard for him to go astray, and in five or six years he might well become another Yang Fang.

In fact, a close look shows the Great King's attire is very particular—his clothing style and even accessories are exquisitely chosen, showing he cares about appearance. He roughly knows which nerve of the Great King he's touched, and chuckled, 'Rest assured, younger brother, when I was twelve I was about your height. As for being fat, that's out of the question; rather, I have ice‑skin crane‑bone, pearl‑lustre jade‑glow.'

That praise, completely unfeigned, was understood by Bai Li—'Long‑Legged Handsome Man, Semi‑Illiterate, Jing'—and it greatly pleased the Great King; it was praise of his fair, tender skin.

That'll do.

Waiting for Lu Tong to request an audience with the Great King, he told him that a group of scholar‑officials had come to Youzhou and might be plotting trouble; the Great King gave a composed cold smile.

"What use is their opposition? The imperial examination is a paramount state affair at this stage—even if Bai Li Jin himself came to the Southern Plaza to perform a hu xuan dance, demonstrate a hand‑stand while drinking, and beg the king, the king would still insist on holding the exam!"

Lu Tong:?

Don't daydream!

The intelligence bureau isn't there for nothing; the Great King knows exactly which families the recent arrivals to the Northern Border belong to, and tonight he's already seen the latest list.

Wei Ke also looked at it, and after finishing he circled two names for him: 'Yang Cheng, Yang Fang?'

The Great King was shocked: 'They're all from the same family, and they've personally come to sap my wall's corner?'

Wei Shen laughed uncontrollably: 'Isn't that you first sapping the foundations of other great clans? The Hongnong Yang, Xie, and Cui families—equal in renown, with countless offspring entering office—are the first to suffer from your imperial examination; formerly the Hongnong Yang name was a lofty status, a golden signboard, but once you institute the exam and appoint officials by literary merit rather than recommendation, how could they be happy?'

Wei Shen laughed uncontrollably, "Isn't that the foundation you first snatched from those great clans? The Hongnong Yang, Xie, and Cui families, equally renowned, with countless descendants entering officialdom—you're the first to suffer from this imperial examination system, and it's them! Before, mentioning the Hongnong Yang clan meant lofty status, a golden signboard; but after you instituted the examinations, officials no longer look at recommendations, only at learning and writings—how could they be happy?"

The king is not convinced, "How come no one from our Wei clan came to oppose us?"

Wei Ke thanked him for raising the Wei clan to the same height as the Wang and Xie clans, while Wei Shen was more direct: "... We are just a third‑rate clan of the unified army, always looked down upon. In chaotic times we might get a glance of respect, but in a peaceful prosperous age, we are simply the objects of contempt."

The king curled the corner of his mouth, about to mock him, when his cousin added: "... Oh, your Bai Li family is the same." Meaning their ancestors were somewhat capable.

The king: ……

Third‑rate plus third‑rate, as the king at the very bottom of the disdain chain, he wasn't discouraged: "Then how did our maternal grandmother marry our maternal grandfather?"

Wei Shen was very alert, feeling it was a trap. He carefully considered his answer: "... Our family at least has a marquis, and the Southwest Army originally had a hundred thousand."

The king blinked his big eyes, "Could it not be because our maternal grandfather is wise and martial, handsome and graceful? Well then, you, you look down on Marquis Wei Ting himself!"

Wei Shen was once again stunned by the king's ploy, he lightly slapped his own cheek, twisted his head hard to the side, and gave himself a self‑slap, saying, "You'd be better off as a mute! Let you talk too much!"

Wei Ke: ……

Wei Shen saw the king suddenly pull out a palm‑sized little notebook and write there, "What are you recording?"

"I'm afraid I'll forget, so I'll note it down to tell my maternal grandfather next time~"

Wei Shen: ……You've got a bright future!

The aristocrats' joint protest—something the king had known about in advance, so he naturally prepared; he wasn't angry at all, treating it as a fun matter to handle, even a bit excited, to the point that Zhao Bao couldn't even see it.

The king first summoned Dong Fu and gave him instructions, then summoned Zhang Tonghe of the Northern Border Medical Bureau, and finally summoned Zhu the chief steward.

Zhao Bao looked worried, "Isn't this not quite right?"

"Your Highness, shouldn't you summon Master Xie and Chancellor Lu instead? Those two are the influential figures in the aristocracy; summoning them to discuss countermeasures would be proper."

The king was in a good mood, not minding waving him away with a hand: "Don't worry, I can handle this; go back, I'm going to sleep!"

Zhao Bao retreated, bewildered; the king couldn't possibly be going to sleep this early, he still had to go to the manor to purchase supplies.

How to put it? Even though there's a protest gathering at the gate, there really aren't many people still hoping to make a profit.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, although there was no snowfall or change in weather, it was still just as cold.

At dawn, the king got up, glanced out the window, then lay back down and slept peacefully.

Even heaven is looking out for us!

Likewise, at dawn, several upscale inns in the city and the workshops in the west city that rent out houses have already begun to move.

Yang Sheng was ready, seeing Yang Fang still reading there with no intention to move, he said, "Why haven't you changed your clothes yet?"

Yang Fang: "... Uncle Grandfather, do I also need to go?"

Yang Sheng: "Why not go? They wouldn't know you anyway."

Yang Fang felt it wasn't good, after all they're relatives, and finding out later would be rather embarrassing. But Yang Sheng clearly didn't think so; his agreement to participate was simply taking the aristocracy's stance in opposing the Northern Border government orders, completely unrelated to his private family ties.

Yang Fang thought the king probably wouldn't know him either. His great‑grandmother passed away early, and after her death, to avoid connections with the military marquis who held heavy troops, the Yang clan and Changzhou had not interacted for many years. Moreover, the Northern Border king had been enfeoffed at a young age, so he isn't even sure which place his maternal great‑grandmother's Yang clan came from.

He didn't doubt that Marquis Wei Ting and the Northern Border were of one mind, but superficially the king actually hasn't had much deep interaction with the Wei family; given the limited opportunities for communication, they probably couldn't finish discussing all state affairs, who would bother with such an old almanac? The Yang clan has always kept a low profile, and there's no need to specially mention it.