Chapter 34: 034: How About I Teach You to Rebel?

By the banks of the Yanshan River.

Pang Chunlai, leaning on his cane, gazed at Hanzhu Mountain several li away and sighed deeply: "Alas, I never imagined the Fei clan's family tradition could have decayed to this extent."

Supported by Zhao Han, Pang Chunlai first went to the Fei ancestral hall to pay respects to the Fei forebears enshrined there. Then he proceeded to the Fei family's old residence, produced the water-damaged "Collected Commentaries on the Four Books," and, in his capacity as a teacher of Hanzhu Academy, demanded an immediate audience with the Fei clan head.

This was the proper procedure. Not to mention a hundred years ago, even as recently as fifty years ago, the Fei clan head would certainly have taken personal charge of the matter.

Yet on this visit, Pang Chunlai did not even get to see the head steward.

He was merely invited in by a household servant receiving guests, seated in a small parlor to drink tea, and, after the circumstances of the incident were inquired about, told that they would help report it to the higher-ups.

A son of the clan destroying the books of the sages, bullying a fellow student into madness, and the parents daring to make a scene at Hanzhu Academy — in the old days, this would have been enough to convene a council of the clan elders!

And now?

After finishing a single cup of tea, Pang Chunlai was courteously escorted out; the Fei family simply could not be bothered to deal with him.

Pang Chunlai turned his head to look toward the confluence of the two rivers, where a memorial archway stood alone at the river mouth. It was called the "Three Ministers Pavilion Arch," erected when Fei Hong served as Chief Grand Secretary. The old scholar Pang sneered: "That the Yanshan Fei clan's literary lineage has withered and its path to officialdom grown dim is no accident."

Zhao Han had stood with Pang Chunlai in a daze for a long time and finally could not help asking: "Sir, you already have a plan in mind, don't you?"

"How do you know?" Pang Chunlai asked in return.

Zhao Han analyzed: "If you had no plan, you would have hurried back to Hanzhu Mountain in a fluster long ago. How would you have the leisure to sigh by the riverbank? Moreover, the fact that you have deliberately kept your student here with you suggests that this plan may require me to carry it out."

"You are indeed exceptionally intelligent," Pang Chunlai could not help praising him, then added, "I am merely still hesitating over whether to do it."

"It seems it is a desperate measure," Zhao Han said.

"The best measure would be to persuade the Fei clan elders to enforce the Fei family rules," Pang Chunlai sighed and shook his head. "Even just going through the motions of enforcing the rules would have sufficed. Who could have imagined that the Fei clan would not even bother with superficial appearances anymore!"

Zhao Han speculated: "There are too many branches, each with its own property, so naturally it is hard to unite people's hearts. The clan head's word carries no weight, and over time, he simply grew tired of managing things."

Pang Chunlai sat down cross-legged, laid his cane horizontally across his knees, and asked: "Zhao Han, do you know where your teacher is from?"

Zhao Han replied: "Judging by your accent, Shandong, perhaps?"

"Liaodong." Pang Chunlai gazed at the quietly flowing waters of the Yanshan River.

Zhao Han was quite surprised by this: "Then your hometown, sir..."

"Overrun by those Jianzhou barbarians. My family is all gone too," Pang Chunlai seemed to sink into recollection. "The scholars of Liaodong mostly come from military families, and your teacher, after a fashion, also counts as a scion of a military house. Home destroyed, family dead, wife and children scattered — a mere bookworm, reduced to a refugee. In the first year of Tianqi, Lord Huyun was commissioned to oversee the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War..."

"Who is Lord Huyun?" Zhao Han could not help interrupting.

Pang Chunlai said: "His Excellency Wang, taboo name Zaijin."

Zhao Han asked further: "Overseeing the affairs of three ministries — does that mean all three were under his jurisdiction?"

Pang Chunlai nodded: "He concurrently held the post of Left Vice Minister of all three ministries."

Zhao Han clicked his tongue inwardly, his thoughts reduced to two words: hardcore.

He had heard the name Wang Zaijin before, but he truly had not known that this man had concurrently overseen the affairs of three ministries.

In the Great Ming's several hundred years, there had been those who amassed power by concurrently heading two ministries — during the Jiajing reign, Wang Hong had simultaneously served as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Minister of the Ministry of War.

But those were two ministerial posts, whereas Wang Zaijin was the Left Vice Minister of three ministries!

How to put it?

You could understand it as: the concrete affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War were all handed over to Wang Zaijin to manage. A workhorse — if things went well, the credit went to the ministers; if things went poorly, the responsibility was his own.

At that time, the Donglin Faction and the Qi-Chu-Zhe Faction were engaged in an extremely fierce partisan struggle, and every Left Vice Minister post was highly precious.

That the two sides could actually reach a temporary compromise and let Wang Zaijin serve as Left Vice Minister of three ministries shows just how formidable his administrative ability was!

It was simply that the military situation in Liaodong was direly urgent, no one else could handle it, and no one else was willing to shoulder that responsibility, so they piled all the burdens onto Wang Zaijin's shoulders.

Pang Chunlai continued: "Lord Huyun was a talent capable of ordering heaven and earth. After the defeat at Guangning, Lord Huyun was commissioned as Military Commissioner of Liaodong, and it was then that I sought service under his banner. I, a penniless xiucai of no great ability, merely because I was familiar with the geography of Liaodong, was fortunate enough to become a private advisor to Lord Huyun. A pity, a pity. Those who can get things done can never prevail against the factionalists in the end."

Zhao Han grew more and more astonished. This old pedant before him had actually once been an advisor to the Military Commissioner of Liaodong.

Pang Chunlai smiled bitterly:

"I followed Lord Huyun for only four months before his commission as Military Commissioner of Liaodong was stripped away. There was no charge, no fault — merely that someone slandered him as unfit for the great responsibility. Recalling him to Beijing was not enough; he was forcibly dragged into the factional strife and squeezed out to Nanjing to be put out to pasture."

"Neither side in the factional struggle could tolerate him, solely because he intended to contract the Liaodong defense line! I am a man of Liaodong; my entire family died wretchedly under the blades of the Jianzhou barbarians. Who would willingly abandon Liaodong's land? The common people of Liaodong — those who could flee all fled; those who could not were all carried off. For hundreds of li there was nothing but barren ground. What was the point of taking it back? We would still have to resettle the people who had fled back beyond the passes! The longer the defense line was stretched, the more places the Jianzhou barbarians could attack. We could only defend passively, unable to launch any offensive, wasting manpower, resources, and treasure in vain!"

"It is like a brawl — you cannot keep your arm stretched out all the time, waiting for someone to hack at it with a blade. You must draw it back and form a fist; only then can you strike with force. Do all those eminent lords at court not even understand a principle this simple?"

Zhao Han said: "They dare not understand. To understand is to abandon land and people, and to shoulder the responsibility for the loss of national territory."

"At your young age, you understand this principle?" Pang Chunlai turned his head to look at Zhao Han.

Zhao Han said: "I understand it a little."

"You are indeed gifted with extraordinary natural talent, your wisdom far surpassing that of ordinary men," Pang Chunlai continued. "Lord Huyun, unable to bear the humiliation, angrily resigned from office. This memorial of resignation was written all the way from Beijing to Nanjing, and I followed him to Nanjing as well. Lord Huyun was kind and generous. Even as he resigned and returned home, he still thought of arranging a path forward for me. He wrote a letter recommending me to the Fei clan as a private tutor. Otherwise, this decrepit old body of mine would likely have starved to death long ago in Nanjing!"

So, after that whole long detour, what exactly are you trying to tell me?

Zhao Han looked at Pang Chunlai with puzzlement.

Pang Chunlai said approvingly: "You did very well today. When that shrew tried to force her way into the headmaster's quarters, you alone stepped forward. A man living in this world can be without power, without money, without talent — but he must never be without a sense of responsibility. You have a sense of responsibility, and you also possess benevolence and righteousness. Very good, very good!"

Zhao Han reminded him: "Young Master Fei — Fei Ruhe — also stepped forward to block her."

Pang Chunlai shook his head: "That was the chivalrous loyalty of the jianghu. Seeing you step forward, he stepped forward alongside you to protect you. Otherwise, you would certainly have been marked for vengeance by that shrew." Then, without any preamble, he asked, "What is the first principle of the art of war?"

"The highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy's plans — to subdue the enemy without fighting?" Zhao Han could not be sure.

"Correct. At such a young age, you have actually read 'Master Sun's Art of War,'" Pang Chunlai said with a smile. "What we are going to discuss today is: attacking what the enemy must rescue!"

Zhao Han asked: "The Fei clan is the enemy?"

The look in Pang Chunlai's eyes as he regarded Zhao Han grew increasingly appreciative: "Precisely. If you wish to save Xu Ying's family, your enemy is not merely the parents of Fei Yuanjian, but the entire Yanshan Fei clan. Because when facing an outsider, the Fei clan will inevitably present a united front. However, the Yanshan Fei clan is not a monolithic block; it is riven with internal contradictions."

Zhao Han thought for a moment and said: "Therefore, we must attack what the enemy must rescue, throw the Fei clan into disarray, and force Fei Yuanjian's family to become outcasts within the Fei clan."

"The boy can be taught!"

Pang Chunlai was satisfied with Zhao Han to the utmost degree and asked: "What does the Fei clan value most?"

Zhao Han analyzed: "The Fei clan does not lack for wealth, and now it seems they also disregard their reputation. All that remains is that last shred of family face."

"What face? It is nothing but a fig leaf," Pang Chunlai said scornfully. "We shall tear off that fig leaf!"

Zhao Han asked: "Is Sir not afraid I might go and inform on you?"

"The fact that you stepped forward today to block the road means you're no backstabbing scoundrel," Pang Chunlai said with a self-deprecating laugh. "And even if you were, so what? My family is dead, my home destroyed — I am utterly alone. After finally finding a worthy disciple, I've come to regard Xu Ying as half a son, half a grandson. How could I let the Fei clan trample him like this?"

So that was it — not just shielding his own, but demanding justice for his "son"!

Pang Chunlai had his own selfish motives too. His entire family was dead; he probably wanted to adopt Xu Ying to carry on his line. He never expected Fei Yuanjian's bullying would drive the boy to madness.

Zhao Han said, "How should we proceed? Please speak plainly, sir."

Pang Chunlai said, "When Fei Songnian fathered a son, he was already nearing seventy. There have long been unsavory rumors in the streets. I will put brush to paper and compose a tale of romantic scandal. You will post copies everywhere. A few at the Fei ancestral residence, a few in Hekou Town, a few more at the Hanzhu Private Academy and the academy proper. The Hanzhu Academy especially — there are scholars there from neighboring counties, and renowned Confucian masters giving lectures. Once they learn of this family disgrace, I fear the story will spread across half of Jiangxi by next year."

Damn — what a vicious scheme, what a base tactic!

Whether Fei Songnian was truly cuckolded or not, once the story gets out, that green hat is on his head whether he likes it or not!

Zhao Han cautioned, "If we do this, I'm afraid Xu Ying's family will suffer even worse retaliation."

Pang Chunlai smiled mysteriously. "The headmaster of the Hanzhu Academy will help us when the time comes."

"Why?" Zhao Han asked, puzzled.

Pang Chunlai said, "Fei Yuanlu is Fei Yaonian's eldest son by his principal wife. He may only be a xiucai, but his learning is far from shallow — he simply indulges too much in poetry and literary composition. He has long wanted to rectify the family's conduct, long wanted to reform the Hanzhu Academy, but he could never find the right opening. Once the scandal breaks, the bigger the uproar the better. He will certainly seize the chance to take control of the academy."

"Doesn't he already run the academy?" Zhao Han asked.

Pang Chunlai shook his head. "The Hanzhu Academy is like a kingdom. Fei Yuanlu, as headmaster, is merely the Emperor sitting high above. The various clan branches are the local magnates — their household slaves already control every aspect of the academy's affairs. Even the academy's endowment lands were seized after Fei Yaonian's death, fought over during the division of family property. The Hanzhu Academy is now penniless, with only a few hundred mu of land left. Its operating funds must be cobbled together by the various branches. Fei Yuanlu must use this opportunity to reclaim the endowment lands — only then can he truly control the academy!"

What the hell!

Zhao Han was utterly convinced. A simple case of school bullying, and it had turned into political maneuvering and military stratagem. Did it really have to be this heart-stoppingly intense?

Zhao Han asked one final question. "Sir, this matter has nothing to do with me. Why should I take such an enormous risk to help you do this?"

Pang Chunlai countered, "Why is it that you, so naturally gifted and with Fei Yinghuan's patronage, disregard the path of examination honors and refuse to study the classics properly under me? Why do you drill martial skills every day? Why do you follow the political affairs in the court gazettes so closely? A mere child, yet so deep and calculating — what exactly are you after?"

"Your student is simply fond of play," Zhao Han said with a smile.

"If Fei Ruhe were fond of play, I'd believe it. You, fond of play? I don't believe it for a moment," Pang Chunlai pressed. "Tell me — what do you truly want to do? Even if you plan to rise in rebellion someday, your teacher will aid you with all his strength."

Zhao Han hastily denied it. "Sir, you overthink things. Why would I rebel for no reason?"

Pang Chunlai gave a cold laugh. "You can rebel. If I were twenty years younger, I would be plotting rebellion myself. Truly — rebellion has more promise than the examinations. Even if you have no such thought, I urge you to consider it someday."

"Why do you say that, sir?" Zhao Han asked.

Pang Chunlai was clearly baiting a child, pouring rebellious ideas into Zhao Han's head. "Those within the passes do not know, but I saw it clearly in Liaodong — these Ming days are numbered. Tax revenues dwindle, military expenditures soar — the only recourse is to raise taxes and levies, which is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst. If the new Emperor were wise and capable, there might yet be a turnabout. But I have read the gazettes for nearly a year now. His present Majesty is merely a petty cleverness with no sense of responsibility."

Zhao Han said, "His present Majesty, by his wisdom, purged the eunuch faction. The masses all praise his brilliance and divine martial prowess."

"Brilliance and divine martial prowess, my foot," Pang Chunlai sneered. "Killing one eunuch — a matter of a single word — and he handled it hesitantly, awkwardly, furtively, tangling it in so many unnecessary complications! And in the end, wasn't it still settled with a single word? One year on the throne, and already three Chief Grand Secretaries dismissed — the act of one throwing the state into chaos. In terms of political acumen and resolve, he doesn't even measure up to the Wanli Emperor!"

And the fourth Chief Grand Secretary was about to be replaced any day now...

Pang Chunlai said, "Even the common folk of Jiangnan are buckling under the weight of the Liaodong levy. How can the bitter, barren northwest possibly endure it? Within ten years, great chaos will engulf the realm. We may well see the likes of Zhang Jiao or Huang Chao rise again!"

Incidentally, the three surtaxes imposed in the late Ming were not levied solely on the north — they were apportioned nationwide according to land area.

But Jiangnan's land was fertile and its population dense; spread out evenly, people there could still scrape by.

The northwest, however, could not. It was practically driving the common people to rebellion.

Pang Chunlai smiled. "Good child, shall I teach you the skills of rebellion?"

Zhao Han thought to himself: As if I need you to teach me that? A high school politics textbook is a manual for dragon-slaying.

(End of Chapter)