Chapter 700: Lin Fucheng, the Opinionated Troublemaker, Arrested

Yue Fei held extremely strict requirements for the soldiers under his command. This harshness applied to everyone from top to bottom. For instance, when his son, Yue Yun, was riding a horse down a slope in the camp and failed to control the mount, causing it to fall, Yue Fei immediately drew his military whip and punished him.

Yue Yun joined the army at twelve, followed his father on three northern expeditions, and repeatedly performed meritorious deeds. He captured the six commanderies of Xiangyang, attacked Suizhou, joined the vanguard assault battalion, and was always at the front of the charge. During the attack on Dengzhou, he was the first to scale the city wall, earning the nickname "General Victory" in the army. Even with such ferocity, Yue Fei never granted him any special treatment.

If a soldier took even a bundle of hemp or cotton from the common people without asking, they were executed on the spot to uphold military discipline. If soldiers stayed outside the gates at night and the people opened their doors to welcome them in, any soldier who dared to enter would still be punished by military law. Consequently, wherever the soldiers went, they never entered a commoner's home, because soldiers carried weapons, and entering a home would inevitably lead to greed for wealth.

Alongside the strict enforcement of military law came high compensation. The army had its own pharmacies where families could receive medical care. If officers or soldiers were stationed far away on the frontier, their wives were periodically sent to visit them. If the frontier was stable, they built sturdy camps and trenches to farm and secure the border. If a soldier unfortunately sacrificed his life, the Divine Martial Rear Army—the collective known as the Yue Family Army—would support his orphans and widow. Whenever the imperial court granted rewards, Yue Fei and his generals were strictly forbidden from keeping any for themselves.

As for "drinking soldiers' blood"—meaning arbitrary beatings, corporal punishment, enslaving soldiers for labor, or embezzling military pay and rations—the penalty was immediate execution.

The two Song dynasties never truly favored the civil over the martial; rather, they suppressed the military entirely. They prioritized internal security over external defense, preferring to be bullied by the Hu barbarians rather than grant military men any power or social status. This led to the Song era's "civilian indulgence and military decadence," where the civil could not secure the state and the military could not defend it.

"Thief-conscripted soldiers"—these three words were the true portrait of the late Northern Song. All soldiers were considered "thief-conscripts," whether they were the imperial Forbidden Army or the four million garrison troops. The only ones capable of fighting were the Song Western Army stationed on the frontier.

The Northern Song had countless famous ministers; did none of them see this danger? Of course they did, and many of them, but the court followed historical precedent and did not know what to do. Redundant soldiers were the greatest of the Northern Song's "three redundancies." The court was confused about the social positioning of soldiers and, not knowing how to handle them, simply followed the rules: what was done in the past was what was done now.

When the Northern Song faced its collapse, a group of generals from humble backgrounds, led by Yue Fei, began to actively explore the social positioning of soldiers. The military institutions of the Central Plains began to evolve from mere killing machines and instruments of violence into the ballast for social stability, taking on more social responsibilities to earn more obligations.

This transformation of Central Plains military institutions should have been completed in the tenth year of Shaoxing, but it all came to an abrupt end because Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, made peace with the Jin.

Qi Jiguang and Yue Fei were truly very much alike. While the Japanese pirates were ravaging the coast, he explored the social status of soldiers and the evolution of military institutions, ultimately proposing to "report to the Son of Heaven above, and save the common people below." This is the military soul of the current Capital Battalion and the Navy.

The military soul is carved into the bones of the soldiers through military discipline. Such an army has operated in the Southern Yamen for many years and created a broad environment of support, but it also has its divisions; the wealthy and arrogant gentry still look down upon the soldiers.

"Saving the common people below" covers a great deal. The Zhejiang Nine Battalions patrolling against floods is one aspect; never attacking the people and preventing the phenomenon of "killing innocents to claim merit" is another. In truth, it is about assuming social responsibility and restraining violence.

Lin Fucheng's attitude was very clear. In the past, soldiers who acted like "combs through hair" were factors of social instability, and favoring the civil over the martial was correct. But the Great Ming soldiers, with strict discipline and greater social responsibility, became the ballast of the Great Ming state. To speak of favoring the civil over the martial now is to break the evolution of military institutions; like Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, one would have to bear the historical guilt.

Lin Fucheng expressed his opinion completely. Li Zhi gave a thumbs up. This old Lin was as eloquent as ever, refuting the view of favoring the civil over the martial from the perspective of the development and evolution of military systems.

When Lin Fucheng elevated the discussion of favoring the civil over the martial to the height of national unity, the scholars in the Yan Zheng Tower turned their attention to him. After all, the views of Ma Jinglun and Yuan Zongdao were clichés that everyone was tired of hearing, but Lin Fucheng's words successfully captured everyone's attention.

Every scholar present thought of the incident in Chongde Ward a few days ago. When Qin Zhongke had someone backing him, he still refused to fight back. This was not cowardice, but the development and evolution of military systems, which was beneficial to everyone. Songjiang Prefecture had one hundred thousand naval troops; if this violence went out of control, which family could withstand it?

"I brought a few hats." Lin Fucheng smiled and took out a stack of hats; these were the props for his gathering today.

Lin Fucheng's gatherings required tickets, and the price was not cheap. For a single gathering, the ticket money alone was at least seven hundred taels of silver, enough to cover the expenses of the Quan Chu Guild Hall for a year. He also meticulously prepared various tricks to make the scholars feel it was worth the price.

"These hats represent the various kinds of people in our Great Ming literati circles. Some wear one, some wear several." Lin Fucheng took out the first hat and said: "The Sovereign is the Guest."

This first hat made everyone present breathe a little faster. Even Li Zhi glanced at the top-tier private room again to confirm that His Majesty was not there today; otherwise, anyone wearing this hat would be a rebel.

"The world belongs to the people, the sovereign is the guest" is a common view in Zhejiang, a total opposition to the "world as a family business," and the most rebellious of rebellious ideas.

Lin Fucheng only learned of this view when he was gathering in Zhejiang. "Guest," just like the guest in "guest star," means a visitor. From Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, to Ming, dynasties changed, and emperors had different surnames. The world was never a family business, but the world of the people. The emperor is a guest. Therefore, this argument is a rebellious one, but it is the truth.

Why does the world have a sovereign? The emperor makes the world enjoy its benefits and makes the world release its harms.

The two characters "Emperor" are the final result of the great debates during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. There needs to be someone to act as the weightlifting champion, to shoulder the historical responsibility of the rise and fall of the world, to suppress private interests, promote public interests, seek welfare for the world, and eliminate disasters for the world. For the emperor, obligation is paramount, and the emperor's power is entirely derived from the harvest after fulfilling those obligations.

"What are you afraid of?" Lin Fucheng looked at the scholars who looked like they were facing a great enemy and said with immense surprise: "Do you not read the official gazettes? His Majesty's comment on 'the world belongs to the people, the sovereign is the guest' was: 'There is reason in these words.' His Majesty says it is reasonable, so what are you cowards afraid of? It's not like you're being asked to rebel, yet you're all sweating profusely."

Lin Fucheng didn't even know what these people were afraid of! If they were afraid, why come to the gathering?

His Majesty the Emperor believes this view is correct, and looking at the Emperor's actions, one finds that His Majesty's supreme power is all obtained after fulfilling his obligations. Military power, political power, financial affairs, etc., are all the same.

His Majesty proved this with practice, yet the scholars were the ones acting like they were facing a great enemy.

"Well, Lin Dashi, should we put this hat away? Some things, the Emperor can say, but we cannot." Li Zhi carefully reminded Lin Fucheng. His Majesty saying it is fine, because it is His Majesty's responsibility, but if the subjects say it, there will be officials to make things difficult for them.

"Then what are we doing as fifth-rank Doctors of Investigation?" Lin Fucheng immediately retorted. Others might be one thing, but he and Li Zhi were fifth-rank Doctors of Investigation. Although the path was unorthodox—obtained by Young Master Huang relying on the relationship with the Grand General's Mansion—they were still officials.

"That's true." Li Zhi thought about it. This issue didn't seem impossible to discuss. Discussing it wasn't the same as putting it into practice.

"If all the benefits of the world are taken for oneself, and all the harms of the world are left to others, then the country will perish. The sovereign is the guest." Lin Fucheng summarized the first hat. If all the good things in the world belong to the emperor, and all the bad things in the world are done by others, and he dares not shoulder any responsibility, then the country will perish, and the emperor is but a guest.

Perishing the country and perishing the world are different. Perishing the country is a change of dynasty; perishing the world is like the Southern Song, where even the Han dynasty's mountains and rivers were lost.

Lin Fucheng started from favoring the civil over the martial and talked about the responsibilities and powers of soldiers, all to talk about the responsibilities and powers of the emperor. This was originally a topic that was very, very easy to cause problems, and could even lead to being arrested directly by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but because His Majesty did so well, this topic became less sharp.

Lin Fucheng took out the second hat and said: "Direct remonstrance to correct the sovereign's mistakes."

How could the emperor have mistakes! Direct remonstrance to correct the sovereign's mistakes—isn't that being a rebel? But the emperor is also a person, and the emperor can have mistakes. Hai Rui had to wear this hat. This belongs to the moderate faction of rebels, focusing on correcting the sovereign's mistakes to make the emperor rectify his errors, which is considered the mainstream public opinion in the Great Ming.

Lin Fucheng looked around and asked with a smile: "Gentlemen, entering officialdom to become an official, is it to be an official for His Majesty? Not so. If it were to be an official for His Majesty, then there would be no talk of direct remonstrance to correct the sovereign's mistakes."

This logic was very clear. If you are an official for His Majesty, then pointing fingers at His Majesty's behavior is wrong.

"Lin Dashi, words cannot be spoken recklessly." Ma Jinglun felt a bit of regret. He had heard that Lin Fucheng's gatherings were extremely bold, but he didn't expect them to be this lawless. He was deconstructing the imperial system!

"Master Wendao, where did I speak nonsense? We've talked about why there is a sovereign, now let's talk about why there are ministers. The world cannot be governed by one person, so officials are set up to govern it. Therefore, officials are the avatars of the sovereign. In essence, sovereign and minister have different names but the same reality."

Yuan Zongdao stood up, waving his hands repeatedly, and said: "Stop talking, stop talking. Gentlemen, I have something to do, so I won't accompany you. What Lin Dashi said is not what I see. I haven't heard it, nor do I agree with it. Today was just a coincidence. If there is anything in the future, it has nothing to do with me."

Yuan Zongdao left as soon as he finished speaking, as if he had made some kind of determination. He swore that he would never participate in gatherings again. This gathering was simply too bold, and this Lin Fucheng was simply too rebellious.

Yuan Zongdao knew that what Lin Fucheng said was right, but Lin Fucheng dared to say it, and he didn't dare to listen! Was this something he could listen to?

This Lin Fucheng was such a big rebel, yet the Emperor actually tolerated him becoming a Doctor of the Five Classics, specializing in social sciences and humanities. It was simply too indulgent.

What is the Great Ming? The imperial system is that all things in the world are subjects, private property in the pocket of the sovereign, viewed from the perspective of the sovereign's body and surname. It is that when the sovereign acts, hundreds of millions of people look up to him as a model and follow it. It is that the sovereign is the guide for the minister, and it is the Great Ming imperial system where if the sovereign wants the minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die.

Lin Fucheng's words were not wrong, but they were not right, and they could not be said.

Yuan Zongdao had nine generations of relatives. To talk nonsense like this, did he ask his nine generations of relatives?

Not only Yuan Zongdao, but even some of the scholars listening to the gathering below were feeling uneasy. Could this really be listened to?

"Master Yangchun is leaving just like that?" Lin Fucheng said with a smile: "We will gather again another day."

"I only hope you still have another day." Yuan Zongdao sighed, bowed to all sides again, and left quickly.

Lin Fucheng was not in a hurry to speak. He was waiting, waiting for those timid people to leave. He knew he was not a rebel, and he also knew that for society to develop, the Great Ming's politics and economy also had to move forward. Someone had to poke a protrusion on this conventional boundary.

The scholars left in twos and threes, but in the end, some people remained, about only one-third, willing to listen to what Lin Fucheng had to say.

"Gentlemen, since you have stayed, then I will continue." Lin Fucheng sighed and said: "Gentlemen, what is an official, and for whom do we become officials? This is a question that must be discussed clearly. Why?"

"If we become officials for the Son of Heaven, and ministers are set up for the sovereign, then officials are the guard dogs of the Son of Heaven. They only need to be responsible to the Son of Heaven, only need to be completely responsible to the superiors, and leave the people in water and fire without caring."

"If becoming an official is not to be an official for the sovereign, but to be an official for the world, for the people, then it won't be like this."

"To enter officialdom is for the world, for the people, for peace, for political harmony, so that one can remonstrate directly to correct the sovereign's mistakes."

"Lin Dashi, why don't you put the hat away? Saying this much is enough, enough." Li Zhi was an opinionated troublemaker, known for being difficult. He found that Lin Fucheng was even more difficult, and he had to stand up and step on the brakes.

"I still have a few more here." Lin Fucheng held the hat in his hand and said: "It is a bit bold, but in fact, it is nothing. Great debates, the more truth is debated, the clearer it becomes. Talk, there is nothing that cannot be talked about. If we don't talk anymore, I'm afraid we won't be able to talk anymore."

Lin Fucheng's words were somewhat open-minded, or rather, he was breaking the jar because it was already broken.

"This, oh, Lin Dashi has finally come to his senses?" Li Zhi asked with a smile, listening to Lin Fucheng's desolate tone.

Lin Fucheng said in a panic: "You knew it all along, but you didn't tell me!"

The riddle they were playing was actually Young Master Huang's identity. Lin Fucheng, who had returned to Songjiang Prefecture, suddenly understood a problem: Young Master Huang was the Emperor himself. All the previous doubts about Young Master Huang were immediately solved. Young Master Huang was too omnipotent. A fifth-rank official position was obtained as soon as he wanted it, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was sent as soon as he wanted, which could barely be attributed to Qi Jiguang's indulgence.

The reason Lin Fucheng came to his senses was actually Young Master Huang's actions a few days ago. Even if Qi Jiguang doted on this junior, it was impossible to directly mobilize three infantry battalions into the city to support Young Master Huang. Three infantry battalions, entering the city—no matter which one, it violated common sense. So these three infantry battalions could only be mobilized by the Emperor himself.

Thinking back to his previous rebellious words, Lin Fucheng felt that he had really reached the end of his life. Today's gathering was his last dance.

Returning from the grasslands and gossiping about the Emperor's own little rumors in front of the Emperor—if this wasn't being tired of living, what was it?

"Actually, there is no need to be overly nervous. Young Master Huang is still very reasonable. You are not a rebel, and you have not plotted a rebellion." Li Zhi said quite calmly: "The Young Master is reasonable."

What Li Zhi said made sense. His Majesty was indeed reasonable, but Lin Fucheng continued to take the hat. The reason was very simple: because the Emperor was a person, and his joy, anger, sorrow, and joy were as unpredictable as the weather. As an opinionated troublemaker, he couldn't die before he finished speaking.

Since things had reached this point, he could only express his opinions more radically, so that there would be fewer regrets even if he died.

"The third hat is limited freedom. I have to wear this hat." Lin Fucheng sighed and put on the hat. He was the leader of the limited freedom faction. The theory of limited freedom advocates achieving maximum freedom under the current political, economic, military, and cultural environment, and is a school of thought that advocates that the court represented by the Emperor should not interfere if it can avoid it.

This school of thought is also rebellious. Under the family-run world, the Emperor as the sovereign father naturally interferes in advance when things have not worsened, but the theory of limited freedom opposes this kind of interference. This school of thought advocates that the court should summarize experience and interfere only after the contradictions have fully collided, which is the steady way.

It holds a positive attitude toward any emerging things, rather than killing them with one stick.

"I don't think I'm entirely right either. For example, I previously opposed a comprehensive ban on smoking. Whether it is opium or tobacco, it should not be completely banned, and the court cannot do it. How can there be such great power? Instead, we should look at the impact of these new things. In this matter, I was wrong, and the court did the right thing." Lin Fucheng first admitted the limitations of his school of thought.

The court was much wiser than him, an opinionated troublemaker who only knew how to make suggestions, and was ahead of him.

"According to the research of the Dissection Institute on various specimens, opium cannot be touched. It will permanently destroy the body's own balance." Lin Fucheng said very solemnly to everyone: "The damage of opium to bodily functions is permanent."

"There is a person in the Dissection Institute named Fan Yingqi. He should have become a high-ranking official of the Great Ming like Wang Jiaping, but now he stays in the Dissection Institute and will never come out."

"Nature, all things, are very wonderful. Humans secrete a substance themselves. This substance can relieve pain, and the principle of pain relief is the same as opium. But if you smoke too much opium, due to disuse, the human body will no longer secrete this substance for pain relief."

"For example, Fan Yingqi, after quitting opium, always feels countless ants crawling all over his body. He can clearly perceive it. In fact, it is the blood flowing. For example, when walking, the knees will sting. When the joints make a sound, there will be a stabbing pain. When performing strenuous activities, the whole body is sore. These pains that we cannot perceive on weekdays will be clearly perceived after quitting."

"So, Fan Yingqi has no confidence to walk out. He knows that he will definitely touch opium again. He can't quit, he can't quit at all."

"I hope everyone present will not touch opium out of curiosity. The court's ban is absolutely correct. The reason why humans are the spirits of all things is that humans have spirituality and rationality and can control their own behavior. If you cannot control your own behavior and lose rationality, you are not a human."

The "Qi Sheng Miscellaneous News" of the Dissection Institute is a newspaper with very low sales but very authoritative, and Lin Fucheng reads every issue. He believes that the Emperor cannot listen to an opinionated troublemaker like him, but should listen to the opinions of more professional Doctors of the Five Classics.

Lin Fucheng's words caused a small discussion at the scene. Perhaps it was time to buy these newspapers with low sales but enough authority to enrich their knowledge, so as to avoid falling into the animal path.

"This fourth hat is 'everyone can be Yao and Shun'." Lin Fucheng took out the fourth hat, handed it to Li Zhi, and said with a smile: "This is your hat."

Li Zhi's Taizhou school advocates this the most. This is not a fresh topic, because the sentence "everyone can be Yao and Shun" comes from "Mencius, Gaozi II," and it is a problem that had already been discussed clearly in the pre-Qin period. Everyone can become a saint, but this sentence opposes the Confucian set of strict hierarchy, where officials and nobles get their due, and the order of respect and inferiority, old and young.

"Reading is very expensive. For a person to be detached from production, they need to have a certain amount of family assets. Pens, ink, paper, and inkstones are expensive, books are expensive, and tuition is also expensive. I think everyone present has the experience of writing and drawing on the ground with tree branches." Lin Fucheng said with great emotion: "Taking myself as an example, my family can be considered above the middle class, barely considered as local gentry, but when I was a child, I still had to help in the fields, picking up ears of grain."

Lin Fucheng's words resonated. This is the common memory of Great Ming scholars: reading, literacy, and working.

Detachment from production means leaving production, not having to work, and only reading the books of sages. Children of middle-class families also cannot be detached from production and need to help with some work, such as driving cattle, picking up ears of grain, drying grain, and winnowing. Everyone knows clearly how expensive reading is.

Lin Fucheng whispered: "Everyone can be Yao and Shun. If you don't read, you obviously cannot be Yao and Shun. You don't even understand the infinite principles of all things. I'm afraid you can't settle yourself. Therefore, only the roar of iron horses can bring more material and support more scholars. Perhaps one day, our Great Ming will also be able to have books for everyone to read."

This is Lin Fucheng's best blessing for the Great Ming. He hopes that one day, the Great Ming will be able to afford to raise their own children, everyone will be able to fill their stomachs, and everyone will be able to have books to read. He expects that one day, his blessing can be realized.

"This fifth hat is the Confucian hat." Lin Fucheng's fifth hat was different from other hats. It was a very standard Confucian hat, the Chengzi scarf, which is the hat worn by Cheng Yi, a great Confucian in the Song Dynasty, in the Zhu-Cheng Neo-Confucianism. It is a high and square scarf hat with two square silks hanging behind.

All scholars in the Great Ming have to wear such a hat because everyone is a Confucian scholar. This type of person can be further subdivided into rigid and conservative Confucian scholars, nonsense-talking cheap Confucian scholars, and capable officials who want to do things. But Lin Fucheng did not distinguish in detail, because there were too many hats.

The two words "Confucian scholar" can be summarized. In fact, it is the middle faction with the largest number of people.

Lin Fucheng took out the sixth hat and said with a smile: "The sixth hat is the extreme conservative faction. They are more conservative than Confucian scholars. For example, the current Minister of War, Zeng Shengwu, his greatest proposition is to restore the ancestral laws of the ancestors, the ancestral laws of Hongwu and Yongle. And most of the ministers in the Great Ming court are such conservative factions. For example, His Majesty has criticized the Ministry of Revenue more than once in the official gazette for not wanting to bear even a little debt, which is very conservative."

The greatest conservatism of these extreme conservative factions is that "under the whole heaven, there is no place that is not the king's land." In the known world of the Great Ming, it is either the territory of the Great Ming or the vassal state of the Great Ming. Vassal states are territories that cannot be civilized for the time being. The performance of this kind of conservative faction is often the most radical type.

For example, on the issue of Japanese pirates, conservative factions generally believe that only by completely eliminating the Japanese can the Japanese pirates be completely eliminated. Therefore, the Nagasaki Governor's Mansion came into being, and it is actively exploring hydrology to completely eliminate the Japanese and eliminate future troubles.

For example, on the issue of the English privateer license, extreme conservative factions believe that since the court is beyond its reach and all methods have been tried, and this tumor and stubborn disease cannot be eliminated, then give Felipe enough support to let Felipe completely eliminate these pests in a physical sense!

"The seventh hat is the faction that calculates and abandons land." Lin Fucheng took out the penultimate hat. This kind of public opinion is not a minority in the Southern Yamen.

The wealthy south pays money and grain to support the remote areas of the frontier. Why should they pay this money and grain! It would be best to abandon these frontier lands and places that are not cost-effective!

This kind of public opinion has lasted for a long time. The Nurgan Regional Military Commission, the Beiping Regional Military Commission, the Hetao Plain, the six guards of Guanxi, the three Xuan and six Wei of the southwest, and the thirteen divisions of Jiaozhi were all abandoned under this kind of public opinion.

"This is the biggest rebel!" Li Zhi said very angrily: "Now opening the sea and trading in the Nanyang should have been walking on two legs, but because the thirteen divisions of Jiaozhi were lost, now it's good, we can only walk on one leg. Xingang, Ryukyu, Keelung, Manila, and Jiugang can only return the same way, and cannot go to Da Nang."

"Da Nang was built by Emperor Chengzu Wen! How can we not go!"

At this time, Li Zhi still had to wear a conservative hat, talking about ancestral laws. Lin Fucheng said at the beginning that this hat had to be worn in many ways, and it was not worn all the time. It was worn when needed, to show the flexibility of scholars.

Without the thirteen divisions of Jiaozhi, the Great Ming's territorial sea trade is as suffocating as breaking a leg!

"The last hat is the absolute freedom faction." When Lin Fucheng took out the last hat, he took the Chengzi crown of Joseon, a crown belt designed with reference to the Great Ming Chengzi scarf, but this crown belt was small and ugly, quite ridiculous. This hat itself was mocking the absolute freedom faction as being copied, a false narrative. The Freedom City in the Freedom Corner of the West was not free at all, but a paradise for crime.

"Hahaha!"

The hat of the absolute freedom faction was taken out, causing a burst of laughter, because the heaven-defying remarks of the absolute freedom faction often caused everyone to attack them, making those who wore the first seven hats unprecedentedly united.

"These eight hats can generally include all living beings. I hope that everyone present will not be deceived by scholars, especially the absolute freedom faction. Their nonsense should be treated with caution. Well, today's gathering ends here. I have to go." Lin Fucheng looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guard who walked in, sighed, and what should come finally came.

"I am Chen Mo, the thousand-household officer of the Northern Town Fusi. Lin Fucheng, come with us." Chen Mo showed the fire card and wanted to arrest people in public.

"What did you do?" Li Zhi said with great horror. The depth of today's gathering was not very deep. Why was Lin Fucheng arrested?

"Nothing, just took advantage of your absence to publish a rebellious miscellaneous newspaper, or call it a demon book. Deserved." Lin Fucheng surrendered and said very calmly.

Lin Fucheng, the opinionated troublemaker, was arrested. This was a major event that exceeded everyone's expectations, and his arrest was because he published a miscellaneous newspaper article that triggered the court's error-correction mechanism, bewitching people's hearts. ===== CHAPTER 701 =====