Chapter 120: To Know the Mountain Path, Ask the Woodcutter

"Huh?! This... how could this possibly be done?!"

Ni Yuanlu's startled cry was like a stone thrown into a still lake, making the hearts of the other four lurch violently.

As one, they halted and unfolded the booklets in their hands.

By the dim yellow light of the lanterns beneath the eaves, their gazes fell in unison upon their respective booklets.

The contents were not complicated — only a few brief lines.

First: Investigate the population growth rate of the metropolitan region. For each married couple, how many children are born, how many die in infancy, how many survive to adulthood. A single piece of evidence is not conclusive; with the capital's million-strong population, exhaustive sampling is not required, but data from at least ten thousand couples must be collected.

Second: Do not cause large-scale disturbance to the populace. This is not yet the time for a full cadastral and population survey; do not create widespread panic.

Third: Ni, Wu, and Qi need no longer answer the Hanlin Daily Lecture questions; this report alone shall serve as their submitted policy essay.

Fourth: If this task is done well, present it at the third Daily Lecture ten days hence. At that time, Luo Yangxing and Zhang Zhiji shall attend together.

Beneath these four items were two more lines of small-character notes.

First note: The answer to this question lies within the question itself. Think on it deeply.

Second note: For any needed manpower, authority, or assistance, seek the aid of Ma Wenke, Attendant-in-Ordinary of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The tangled confusion, sorrow, excitement, and other complex emotions that had just risen in them were, in this moment, utterly replaced by a surge of intense anxiety.

Ten days?

Survey the birth data of ten thousand couples!

And without causing large-scale disturbance to the populace?

This was sheer fantasy!

The few of them looked at one another, each seeing the shock and the sense of intractability in the others' eyes.

And besides, who was this Ma Wenke?

"My lords... my lords."

At the sound, they looked up and saw a young eunuch, barely past twenty by his looks, standing beneath the eaves, watching them quietly with a perfectly measured smile.

Seeing their gazes converge on him, the young eunuch stepped forward unhurriedly, cupped his hands, and introduced himself: "I am Ma Wenke, Attendant-in-Ordinary of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"His Majesty has instructed me to assist you, my lords, throughout the entire process. Whatever you require, you need only speak."

He paused, a glint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked, "May I ask, my lords, when you intend to hold your first deliberation?"

The five exchanged another glance and reached a consensus almost instantly.

What do you mean, when? Right now, of course!

Ni Yuanlu, the most impatient of them, spoke directly: "The imperial command is urgent; there is no time to lose. Right now!"

Ma Wenke was briefly taken aback, but then nodded with a smile. "Very well. However... it is already approaching the hour of the rooster, and the palace gates will soon be locked. Lingering further within the palace would likely be inconvenient. In my humble opinion, it would be better to find a quiet place outside the palace."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhang Zhiji immediately took up the thread: "If you do not disdain it, come to my home. The residence is reasonably spacious and quiet, and most importantly, it is close by — right beside the palace wall."

Ma Wenke swept his gaze over the other four. Seeing no objection, he smiled and nodded. "Then we shall impose upon Young Master Zhang."

He seemed quite familiar with the place. "The Duke of Ying's garden — I know it well. When I accompanied His Majesty on his daily inspection of the Valiant Guard Camp, I could always glimpse your noble residence's towers and pavilions."

With that, he turned aside and made a gesture of invitation. "Gentlemen, please follow me."

The party followed Ma Wenke, walking in silence through the deep night.

This was the first time Qi Xinxiao had left the Forbidden City at night.

The palace halls and towers, so solemn and awe-inspiring by day, had now become vast shadows slumbering in the darkness; only the high palace walls and corner towers traced stark, cold outlines in the moonlight.

Passing through the Gate of Earthly Peace, the clamor of the outside world had long since fallen silent. All around was pitch-black, as if even the air was a few degrees colder than inside the palace.

Only the Valiant Guard Camp encampment to the west still showed a few points of lamplight.

Walking further on, they were swallowed entirely by the darkness.

Wealthy households had long since closed their gates and retired; ordinary folk would certainly not waste oil and wax by lighting lamps at such an hour.

Guided by the lanterns carried by Zhang Zhiji's household servants, they walked with uneven steps, crossing a stone bridge.

Beneath the bridge flowed the living waters of Shichahai; moonlight scattered across the surface, shimmering with ripples of light.

The autumn wind was now bitterly cold, carrying the moisture of the water against their faces, yet it was bracingly refreshing.

A few crisp insect chirps sounded in the distance, making the surrounding stillness all the more profound.

This cool, open scenery unconsciously loosened the taut strings of their hearts a little, and their pace slowed.

Just then, Zhang Zhiji, who had been walking at the very front, stopped and turned back with a smile. "We've arrived."

They looked up and saw, beyond a grove of deep-set trees, a tall building looming before them. The upper floor was brightly lit, warm light spilling through the lattice windows.

Rounding the spirit screen, a sharp-eyed servant had already come forward to greet them, bowing. "The young master has returned."

Zhang Zhiji waved a casual hand and ordered, "Prepare hot water. Have these lords wash up and change."

Soon, several maidservants stepped forward and led the group toward the guest rooms.

Qi Xinxiao, of rural origin, had never seen such a display. For a moment, he was at a loss, appearing somewhat ill at ease.

Zhang Zhiji noticed and clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "Brother Junqiu, treat this as your own home. No need to stand on ceremony."

Once the group had washed and changed into clean informal robes, they were led into the main hall.

The hall was as warm as spring, the underfloor heating burning at just the right level.

The curio shelves were filled with all manner of rare objects — a scene of wealth and splendor — yet at the very center of the hall hung only a single scroll with the character for "Tranquility." It bore not even a signature and did not appear to be the work of a renowned hand.

They had just taken their seats when a tall, hale-looking old man with a vigorous spirit emerged from the rear hall. It was none other than Zhang Weixian, the Duke of Ying.

"Father." Zhang Zhiji hurriedly rose and bowed.

The other four also stood and cupped their hands. "We pay our respects to the Duke of Ying."

Zhang Weixian swept his gaze over them, and the smile on his face deepened.

A favorite of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a capable officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and three Hanlin officials with boundless prospects. His son was finally no longer mingling only with those feckless, impoverished scholars from the Imperial Academy.

Utterly satisfied, he exchanged a few pleasantries with each of them, then smilingly excused himself on some pretext. Before leaving, he kindly instructed the servants to attend them well, leaving the space entirely to these young men.

Zhang Zhiji immediately called out, "Hold the meal for now. Just prepare some light refreshments and tea and send them to my study. We still have important matters to discuss."

The servant bowed and departed to carry out the order.

In Zhang Zhiji's study, wisps of steam curled up from the fragrant tea, but the few of them sat in silence, each pondering that difficult problem.

In the end, it was Ni Yuanlu who broke the silence first.

"Gentlemen, this matter... how exactly are we to proceed? If we are to investigate, the most reliable method would be to deploy the Five Wards Troops and Horses Office and coordinate with the baojia system to conduct a door-to-door sweep. But His Majesty explicitly forbade disturbing the common people, so that path is clearly blocked."

Zhang Zhiji nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Without relying on official resources, for just the few of us to verify ten thousand couples within a mere ten days is nothing short of a fool's fantasy."

The group fell silent once more.

After a moment, Qi Xinxiao, who had been quietly thinking, suddenly spoke up. "If the Yellow Registers are unreliable, what about the local county gazetteers? Would there be gazetteers for Wanping and Daxing counties that we could consult?"

"In my hometown, the population figures recorded in the county gazetteer are often more accurate than those in the official Yellow Registers."

Luo Yangxing shook his head, his voice low. "On this matter, I happen to know. Wanping and Daxing counties had no gazetteers before. The Wanping county gazetteer was only first compiled during the Wanli era, but the population figures recorded in it were simply carried over from old records and have not changed in decades."

The others could not help but be somewhat surprised at this.

For an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer to know this seemed a bit excessive.

Zhang Zhiji asked, "How does Brother Taihe know this?"

Luo Yangxing explained, "The man who compiled that gazetteer was a fellow native of Huguang. We had dealings during the Wanli era and once spoke of this matter."

The clue had broken off again, and the study sank once more into dead silence.

After a long while, Zhang Zhiji suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up. "Clan genealogies! How could I have forgotten clan genealogies!"

He abruptly rose and paced the room, speaking rapidly. "Clan genealogies record in exhaustive detail the marriages, funerals, births, and deaths of clan members. Would that not be exactly what we need?"

"The capital is full of noble and meritorious houses. Pool the genealogies of each clan, and gathering data on ten thousand couples would be no difficult task!"

He grew more and more excited as he spoke. "My own family's genealogy — I could steal... borrow it for a look tonight."

"As for the other noble houses... they all have hereditary lineage charts on file, kept precisely by the Five Chief Military Commissions. Tomorrow I shall explain His Majesty's task to my father, and obtaining them should not be difficult!"

This line of thought was like a beam of light, instantly broadening everyone's thinking.

Qi Xinxiao's eyes flashed, and he added, "Right! And the imperial clan jade tablets! The imperial clan's proliferation is considerable in number. If we could consult the jade tablets, they would also serve as an important reference!"

Zhang Zhiji, however, looked somewhat hesitant at this. "The jade tablets are kept by the Imperial Clan Court. The one currently in charge is Imperial Son-in-law Hou, and his son also studies at the Imperial Academy. I have never gotten along with that fellow, so I fear it would be hard to ask..."

Ma Wenke, who had been quietly listening on the side, now smiled. "Young Master Zhang need not worry. If this item is truly needed, this humble one will report back to His Majesty and will certainly not put you gentlemen in a difficult position. It is just... whether this method itself is feasible — that, you gentlemen must still think through carefully."

At that moment, Wu Kongjia, who had not spoken all this while, suddenly raised his head and said softly, "No."

He looked at the others. "The increase and decrease of the imperial clan's population is of no use as a reference."

"Before the Tianqi era, clan stipends were unrestricted. Any son born to a clansman could draw a stipend, and so clansmen everywhere made it their business to produce as many children as possible. The histories record a Prince who fathered a hundred sons. This was driven by profit, not the norm."

Qi Xinxiao immediately caught on and followed up. "Exactly. Moreover, the new jade tablets after Tianqi are still being compiled. Even if we wanted to examine the growth rate after the clan stipends were restricted, there is no way to look it up now!"

Wu Kongjia nodded and continued, "Thus, the proliferation of the imperial clan is an anomaly and cannot serve as a reference for ordinary commoner households."

"By the same logic, the same applies to noble houses. Though nobles are not the equal of the imperial clan, they too lack neither food nor clothing. Their rate of childbearing and rearing must be far higher than that of ordinary commoners."

"To infer the numbers of the common people from the numbers of the nobility — I fear the difference would be as great as heaven and earth. It would not be the truth His Majesty seeks."

These words, like a bucket of cold water dashed over them, instantly cooled the group that had just grown excited.

Zhang Zhiji slumped back into his seat and sighed. "Brother Yuanhui speaks truly. We were thinking wrongly."

Ni Yuanlu grew anxious at once. "Then what are we to do? The baojia cannot be used, the county gazetteers have no records, and the clan genealogies and jade tablets are all unusable as references... Is there any other way?!"

Inside the study, the atmosphere grew extremely heavy once more.

Ma Wenke watched them, still wearing that inscrutable smile, his hand unconsciously reaching into his sleeve, as if about to speak.

At that very moment, Luo Yangxing, who had been silent for a good while, suddenly shot to his feet!

His eyes blazed with sharp light as he swept his gaze over the group and spoke, each word deliberate. "I have it!"

"We go find the midwives!"

The others were first taken aback.

Midwives?

Then, everyone's eyes lit up!

Yes! Midwives!

"Brilliant!" Zhang Zhiji clapped his hands in admiration. "Brother Taihe's plan is truly an unconventional stroke of genius, a blade that cuts from an unexpected angle — yet it strikes straight at the heart of the matter!"

Ni Yuanlu followed suit. "Precisely! The midwives of the capital are, after all, limited in number — perhaps a hundred, but certainly not a thousand. We need only seize upon this small number of people, and by grasping a single thread we can clarify the whole picture. It is an absolutely perfect lead!"

Qi Xinxiao had already thought of the details. "I wonder if the capital's midwives are literate? In my hometown, some midwives are versed in letters and customarily keep account books recording the surnames and addresses of the families they deliver for, the red envelopes they received, the infant's eight characters of birth, and so on — all for the sake of long-term business!"

Wu Kongjia coolly raised the final question. "In that case, under whose jurisdiction do the midwives fall?"

This single question stumped everyone again.

Midwives belonged to the lowest of the low trades. These Hanlin officials and noble sons — even when there were childbirths in their own households, such matters were handled by servants and elders. When would they ever have paid attention to such things in daily life?

For a moment, no one could answer.

Just then, Ma Wenke gave a light cough.

"Ahem."

Everyone turned in unison to look at him.

Ma Wenke, beaming, said, "They fall under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture."

The group was stunned, inwardly astonished — how could a eunuch secluded deep within the palace be so thoroughly familiar with the workings of such a common municipal office?

Ma Wenke, seeing the expressions on their faces, smiled even more deeply and spoke.

"His Majesty prepared an oral edict and three brocade pouches for you gentlemen."

"However, he also gave special instructions to this humble one: only once you gentlemen had arrived at this method on your own was I permitted to speak."

At these words, the whole room was shocked.

The five men hurriedly rose from their seats, straightened their robes and caps, and knelt, bowing in the direction of the imperial palace.

The smile on Ma Wenke's face vanished in an instant. His expression turned solemn, and he too raised his clasped hands in salute toward the south. Only then did he clear his throat and, imitating Zhu Youjian's tone, say in a deep voice:

"When it comes to reforming the affairs of the realm, the crux lies not in the lofty halls of the court, but in the distant rivers and lakes; not in the disputation of the classics, but in the practical work of the clerks."

"That you gentlemen could think of the midwife method shows you are all capable talents who apply your minds to practical matters."

"I hope that in your future conduct, you will always keep this heart, observe more from below, and set your sights less on the lofty heights."

"Your subjects obey the decree!" the five men answered in unison.

Only then did Ma Wenke straighten up. He drew a small, delicate brocade pouch from his sleeve and handed it over.

Ni Yuanlu, impatient, snatched it and opened it without delay. Inside was indeed a slip of paper, on which two large characters were written: Midwife.

"And the other two brocade pouches?" Ni Yuanlu pressed.

Ma Wenke shook his head. "His Majesty gave prior instructions. Should you gentlemen never think of it,"

"then the first brocade pouch is to be opened on the second day; the second brocade pouch on the third day; and the third brocade pouch may only be opened on the seventh day."

With that, he raised his hand and said with a smile, "The oral decree has been delivered, and the first brocade pouch has been opened. Gentlemen, please continue."

The men exchanged glances. The heaviness in their hearts was swept clean away, replaced by an unprecedented surge of fervor.

"The matter of births now has a clue, but what of deaths? People are not born without dying. Only with both birth and death can we obtain the true rate of growth!"

"What about seeking out coffin shops? And those coroners who specialize in laying out the dead!"

"That won't work! In the capital, if a family is poor, a straw mat after death is already a luxury — how could they afford a coffin!"

Night, the tenth day of the ninth month, seventh year of Tianqi.

In the study of Zhang Zhiji at the Duke of Ying's residence, the lamps blazed bright.