Chapter 61: 060: To Hell with It — Let's Rebel

The Hekou docks.

Fei Yuanlu personally opened the cabin door and said with earnest warmth, "Superintendent Cai, please come ashore!"

Cai Maode was exceedingly modest and replied with a slight smile, "I dare not presume. Elders before juniors — Senior Fei, after you."

The Circuit of Education Intendant is also called Superintendent of Education or Education Commissioner.

If filled by a Provincial Surveillance Vice Commissioner, it is called "Education Vice Commissioner." If filled by a Provincial Surveillance Assistant Commissioner, it is called "Education Assistant Commissioner."

These varied titles all refer to the same office — the provincial director of education.

As Jiangxi's Education Intendant, Cai Maode had been gnashed at with hatred for years. Because he took no bribes and forbade cheating in the examinations, many sons of wealthy families found that no amount of money could buy them the xiucai degree.

Moreover, the man moved like a ghost, daring to roam all over Jiangxi with only a single personal attendant, secretly investigating the academic atmosphere of every department and county.

A few days earlier he had come to Yanshan and spent half a day visiting the county school before a government student finally recognized him. The newly appointed County Magistrate, Zheng Lun, rushed over to attend him, only to find he had missed him — Cai Maode had gone to pay homage at the site where Xin Qiji once dwelt.

"A place of outstanding men and numinous land — Pearl-Embracing Mountain is indeed a fine spot," Cai Maode said, gazing at the distant ridge.

Fei Yuanlu quickly said, "What it still lacks is a great Confucian to teach here. If the Superintendent would deliver lectures on this mountain, the scholars of the academy would surely make great strides."

Cai Maode smiled faintly. "Pearl-Embracing Mountain's literary veins run deep. I would only be showing off my meager skill before a master."

The two men walked on together, with several others following behind.

One among them was sturdily built, a long sword hanging at his waist and a book-box strapped to his back — apparently Cai Maode's personal attendant.

On the way up the mountain, Cai Maode suddenly asked, "What has been the reaction of the students at Pearl-Embracing Academy to the court's abolition of tax and corvée exemptions?"

Fei Yuanlu replied, "The dynasty has treated scholars generously for over two hundred years. Now that the Imperial Granary is short of funds and grain, scholars ought to share the realm's burdens."

It was an answer that evaded the question, and Cai Maode could not be bothered to ask again.

When they reached the academy gate, a sheet of paper was pasted on the courtyard wall beside it.

Cai Maode walked over to look, and his expression at once turned peculiar. "All people under Heaven are born equal — which great Confucian of this academy produced this masterpiece?"

Fei Yuanlu answered, "The work of an arrogant child student, and it has already stirred public indignation. The court does not punish men for their words, and an academy ought to do likewise. This old man plans to hold a debate tomorrow, pitting this child student against the academy's teachers and scholars. If he loses, he shall be ordered to correct himself and never again utter such strange and deviant talk. If he can refute the entire academy, then he is a prodigy of sorts, and he may freely be left to develop as he will."

"That is an excellent approach. I shall observe it," Cai Maode said, quite intrigued.

Fei Yuanlu had been waiting for exactly those words and immediately seized the opening: "Though this affair is absurd, it is truly a rare occurrence. Might the Superintendent compose an essay to record it?"

Cai Maode spun around abruptly and fixed Fei Yuanlu with a look that was not quite a smile.

Fei Yuanlu was more than twenty years his senior, his hair all white, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles. At this moment his expression was utterly ingratiating, and his eyes even held a plea.

Cai Maode's heart softened. He sighed. "Very well, I shall write one."

Fei Yuanlu straightened his collar and cuffs and bowed formally, hands clasped.

This essay was of great importance. Coming from the hand of an Education Vice Commissioner, and on a debate topic so controversial, it was certain to bring great renown to Pearl-Embracing Academy.

At the same time, there was a deeper meaning, one that touched on the grievances of an earlier generation.

Wang Yangming's father was named Wang Hua. Fei Hong had been Wang Hua's disciple. Fei Hong's younger cousin Fei Cai was the grandson-in-law of Lou Liang, and Wang Yangming was in turn Lou Liang's student.

During the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, Wang Yangming, together with Fei Hong, had overthrown the Prince of Ning.

In personal character, Fei Hong esteemed Wang Yangming without reserve. In scholarship, Fei Hong was deeply resistant to Wang Yangming. In politics, Fei Hong suppressed Wang Yangming without compromise.

The conflict between the two sides had begun with the disposition of the Prince of Ning — that is, to whom the captive should be handed over.

Later, Fei Hong blocked Wang Yangming's return to office and held back his promotions. Eight months before Wang Yangming died, Fei Hong made a gesture of reconciliation, and the two sides reached a superficial settlement.

Because of all this, Wang Yangming's disciples and their disciples in turn had never looked kindly upon the Fei clan of Yanshan.

If Cai Maode were willing to write an essay for Pearl-Embracing Academy, it would mean that his branch of the scholarly lineage was accepting the Fei family.

Having received an affirmative answer, Fei Yuanlu said cheerfully, "Superintendent, please enter."

"After you." Cai Maode no longer stood on ceremony.

Times had changed, and the grievances of the elder generation had long since faded. The two men walked side by side through the academy gate.

The sword-bearing man behind them, however, did not immediately follow. Instead, he carefully read the essay on the wall. At times he smiled; at times he frowned; finally he seemed lost in thought.

This man was named Zhu Zhiyu, a government student from Yuyao.

Now, when Fei and Cai entered the academy, they came face to face with a group of students.

"Greetings, Headmaster!" The students bowed one after another.

Some of the students recognized Cai Maode: "Greetings, Honored Examiner!"

Fei Yuanlu returned their salute with clasped hands and asked, "You all seem in a great hurry — where are you off to?"

One student said, "The court has abolished the exemptions for government students. We are going together to seek the Governor, intending to submit a joint memorial and beg His Majesty to retract the decree!"

Another student said, "Since the Superintendent is here, we need not go far afield. We ask the Superintendent to help deliver our memorial!"

"Nonsense!"

Fei Yuanlu immediately rebuked them: "The abolition of government student exemptions was an imperial decree from two years ago. Jiangxi has merely delayed implementation until now. Do you few xiucai think that submitting a memorial will make His Majesty retract his edict?"

One student said heatedly, "Headmaster, this student comes from humble origins and relies entirely on the Fei clan's support. Yet this student must also support a family — I cannot have my whole household depend on the Fei clan just to stay alive. Two dan of grain is not much, but for this student, it is the grain that saves his family from starvation. Now that the court has abolished the exemptions, among the hundreds of thousands of government students across the realm, which impoverished scholar like this student does not feel his heart turn cold? This is a policy that throws the state into chaos!"

Fei Yuanlu had no words to answer.

Cai Maode sighed. "Give me your memorial."

"Many thanks, sir!" The students were instantly overjoyed.

Cai Maode added, "I will only forward it to the Office of Transmission for you. Whether His Majesty ever sees it — that I cannot guarantee."

The students' faces fell at once, and then grew even more indignant. They felt that Chongzhen was nothing but a fatuous ruler.

When their own interests were at stake, it would be strange if they did not feel resentment.

Yet the Chongzhen Emperor had no choice either. He had to find money to keep the situation afloat.

Take the third year of Chongzhen, for example. When the Ministry of Revenue first requested a tax increase, the Emperor had flatly refused. Half a year later, the state treasury was truly empty, and the Emperor could only brace himself and agree.

Nor was it much of an increase — 0.003 taels of silver per mu of land.

But a tax increase had already been imposed a few years earlier. How could the common people bear it?

The south was somewhat better off, since the yield per mu was higher there.

The northern lands were barren, and year after year of drought simply drove the peasants to death's door.

The policy was implemented, and it blossomed across the entire realm.

Shanxi exploded outright — peasant uprisings swarmed up like hornets.

In Northern Zhili, Henan, and Shandong, followers of the White Lotus sect grew more and more numerous.

Precisely at this moment, in order to control the army, Chongzhen dispatched trusted eunuchs to every corner of the empire.

The eunuchs took up their posts, and their very first priority was to squeeze out money, fleecing the rank and file alongside the civil officials and military officers. Within a single year, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan — five provinces — erupted in mutinies one after another. In more than a few cases, military officers secretly egged them on, aiming to give the newly arrived eunuchs a show of force.

Compared to this chaos, what did those two dan of grain for the xiucai even matter?

The students hung their heads dejectedly. One of them said, "That madman preaches equality between the good and the base, yet we xiucai are worse off than household slaves. Look at those powerful slaves — every one of them wears brocade and eats jade. But we xiucai can only choke down chaff and greens. Now that even the tax exemption is gone, I'd gladly trade places with a household slave."

"Why speak in anger? We can still sit for the juren exam. A household slave is a household slave for life," another student consoled him.

The first student replied, "You go pass one and show me. The Jiangxi provincial exam is brutally hard to begin with, and on top of that, officials and gentry collude in fraud, letting empty-headed fools pass! For poor scholars like us, what hope is there?"

By the late Ming, cheating scandals in the provincial exams occurred almost every year.

Qian Qianyi, now dismissed from office and at home, was himself entangled in a provincial exam fraud case — and it was very difficult for him to prove his own innocence!

Everyone fell silent.

Suddenly, one student declared, "I'm done with exams. Tomorrow I'll go to Nanchang to seek refuge with relatives. If I can find work as a private tutor, that would be best. If not, I'll copy books and write letters for people. I absolutely cannot sit here and wait for my family to starve to death."

"I'm going to Shangrao. My uncle works there. I'll see if I can find something to do," another student said.

These were all ordinary xiucai. Only the stipend xiucai received a monthly grain allowance; only stipend xiucai could earn the guarantee silver from the prefectural exam. But they could get none of that. At most, they could serve as guarantors for the county exam. Now that the court had abolished the tax exemption and raised the land tax at the same time, poor xiucai truly could not hold on any longer.

Even if they could hold on, their hearts had turned to ash, believing the court had abandoned them.

"This court — we might as well rebel and be done with it!"

"Silence, quickly! Have you gone mad?"

"I'm not mad! Years of bitter study by a cold window, no hope in the exams, and now spurned by the court — what else can we do?"

"Brother Changqing has gone mad! Drag him back, quickly!"

"..."

For a moment, all was utter pandemonium.

It was against this backdrop that Zhao Han's "Pearl-in-Mouth Debate" arrived.

(End of Chapter)