Chapter 40: The Invitation

"No need for you — I'll put them on myself." Outside the main palace corridor of Luoyang's Southern Palace, after the once-every-five-days court session, Liu Kuan, dark circles under his eyes, smiled and waved off the young eunuch. He set his audience tablet on the ground, then crouched down and put on his silk shoes by himself.

"I'll do my own as well." Just then, someone beside him mimicked him and crouched down too.

Liu Kuan didn't need to look up to know who it was beside him — they were far too familiar: "How can the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness be so discourteous? Aren't you always the most upright and proper?"

"Uprightness, propriety — what have they to do with putting on one's own shoes? You, Liu Wenrao, just love playing the fool." The speaker was none other than Yang Ci of the Hongnong Yang clan.

And who, then, was Yang Ci?

The answer: he came from the main line of the Hongnong Yang clan. His grandfather, Yang Zhen, renowned for his outstanding mastery of classical scholarship — especially the family's transmitted Ouyang Minister — was famed throughout the realm, hailed as the Confucius of Guanzhong, and was appointed Grand Commandant on that basis. His father, Yang Bing, also served as Grand Commandant of the reigning dynasty. And Yang Ci himself studied under yet another Grand Commandant, Huan Yan. Later, when His Majesty, at the age of twelve, was welcomed from Hejian to the capital and enthroned as Emperor, Yang Ci, like Liu Kuan, was ranked among the three imperial tutors, and the year before last he even served a term as Minister of Works!

That appointment made the Hongnong Yang clan the second family, after the Runan Yuan clan, to achieve the distinction of "Three Excellencies in Three Generations." And considering that his son, Yang Biao, barely in his thirties, was already famed for "mastery of the classics," four generations of Three Excellencies likely wasn't far off.

In short, a man of such stature, even if he encountered misfortune and was relieved of his Three Excellencies post, would still continue as Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, and would additionally be granted an extra stipend rank as a mark of imperial favor.

Incidentally, this Xiping Stone Classics project was under his overall supervision... and there was no need to doubt that next year, he would certainly use this project as his merit to be reappointed as one of the Three Excellencies.

That was the rule of officialdom in this era — whatever position your father held, the son, so long as he wasn't useless, could generally reach the same position.

As the saying goes, one turnip pit is reserved for the whole family of turnips!

Beneath the Southern Palace walls, the two grandees walked slowly side by side, and everyone tactfully refrained from disturbing them.

"What do you make of Lu Zigan's memorial?" Yang Ci held his audience tablet and walked with perfectly measured, formal steps.

"Too forceful." Liu Kuan shook his head repeatedly. "Openly and explicitly demanding that the Old Text classics be established as official learning — far too forceful."

"I understand all that perfectly well." Yang Ci's face showed complete disapproval. "I'm simply asking you, Liu Wenrao, how we should handle this matter?"

"These past days it hasn't only been Lu Zigan submitting memorials." Liu Kuan rubbed his hands together as he answered. "All across Guandong, from Hebei to Jingchu, nearly every renowned Confucian and great clan has voiced support. Even those submitting memorials in their capacity as Two-Thousand-Bushel officials are not few. So I think it would be better to concede one or two texts, which would also serve as an explanation to the various lords of Guandong..."

"Concede which text?" Yang Ci coldly demanded. "Can we concede the Spring and Autumn Annals?"

"The Spring and Autumn Annals is the primordial classic — absolutely cannot be conceded." Liu Kuan immediately smiled wryly.

"Then how about conceding the Book of Songs?" Yang Ci continued his mockery. "You, Liu Wenrao, the elder statesman of the realm — this time, don't contend for a place for your family's Han School of the Songs. Let the Old Text Mao School of the Songs become the official learning instead? Didn't Lu Zigan mention the Mao Songs in his memorial... 'Now the Mao Songs, the Zuo Commentary, the Rites of Zhou, and the various Old Text works each have their own commentaries and traditions; together with the Spring and Autumn Annals they complement one another. It is fitting to establish Erudites for them and set them as official learning, to aid future generations and broaden the sage's intent'... I haven't misquoted, have I?"

"Then what do you intend to do?" Liu Kuan asked helplessly in return. "You are the overall supervisor of this Stone Classics project. A response must be given no matter what. And it truly cannot be delayed any longer — if we drag this out further, His Majesty may well waver!"

"Times change, and I have no wish to say things like the Old Texts betray the sage's original meaning." Yang Ci stopped walking and answered with a serious expression. "But our New Text tradition conveys profound meaning in subtle words, every character a pearl, expounding the sage's ultimate principles... not a single character can be altered!"

"What about the surging public opinion east of the mountains?" Liu Kuan's perpetually dark-circled face finally grew solemn as well.

"Though the east is surging, the only way to break into this matter is to exert pressure through Lu Zigan alone, because Lu Zigan is the sole Old Text Erudite at court." Yang Ci answered without the slightest hesitation. "So long as we can lock down Lu Zigan, this matter can be safely weathered!"

"But if that's the case, how do you plan to deal with Lu Zigan?" Liu Kuan furrowed his brow and pressed relentlessly. "You know as well as I that he is the only Old Text Erudite in the court. Moreover, this man is a renowned Confucian of the realm, bearing the hopes of the whole world, and he is also a fellow townsman of His Majesty. Seventy percent of His Majesty's current hesitation is due to Lu Zigan himself. A man like this — back when we decided to undertake the Stone Classics, all we could do was lure the tiger from the mountain, yet even then he calmly broke our ploy! Now he glares like a tiger from Goushi Mountain outside the city, and he has so openly declared his stance, so forcefully — what method do you have to lock him down?"

"Simply turn his own ploy against him." Yang Ci answered with a stiff face. "Didn't he volunteer to enter the Eastern Pavilion to collate the classics and commentaries? But right now, the Eastern Pavilion is not only concerned with collating classics and commentaries — there is also the great task of compiling the histories! So, let him enter. At the next court session, let him enter! But once inside, don't let him touch the classics and commentaries — just have him focus solely on compiling the histories. Let him compile histories for two years. Once the stone inscriptions are all erected, what can he do about it? In any case, the Eastern Pavilion is under our control!"

"Such a petty tactic — first deception, then using power to suppress — errs on the side of cunning treachery." Liu Kuan shook his head repeatedly. "Will Lu Zigan accept it willingly?"

"Didn't he also volunteer for two assistants?" Yang Ci sighed softly. "To quote, 'two scholars capable of calligraphy, to go together to the Eastern Pavilion'... Then let Cai Yong and my own legitimate son, Yang Biao, serve as his assistants! I'm even handing over my own legitimate son to him — on what grounds could he refuse to accept it?"

Liu Kuan was stunned: "Why go to such lengths?"

"Because I am the one directing this Stone Classics matter." Yang Ci shook his head. "Since Yang is to bear responsibility, then Yang naturally must not shirk the duty."

Liu Kuan lowered his head and pondered for a moment: "Since you already have a plan, why did you seek me out?"

"Firstly, naturally, to inform you. The Guanzhong New Text great families are just these few — we must advance and retreat together." Yang Ci spoke frankly. "Secondly, I know you and Lu Zigan are drinking friends, with a deep personal bond, so I hope you will go talk with him again. If you could persuade him to change his mind and stop pressing so relentlessly, why would I need to resort to such measures?"

"Little hope of that." Liu Kuan shook his head again. "One might even say it's utterly impossible. But since you've brought it up, I will naturally go and have a chat with him..."

"That's good, then." Yang Ci nodded, said no more, and walked away directly, holding his audience tablet and stepping with measured, formal strides.

"You can guard against it for a time, but can you guard against it for a lifetime?" Liu Kuan shook his head, turned around, pulled the audience tablet from where it was tucked behind his neck, and also ambled slowly away.

However, just as this current Superintendent of the Imperial Household was pondering how to find an excuse to meet Lu Zhi again, and slowly pacing toward the Southern Palace gate... he was surprised to find that an opportunity had come looking for him on its own.

"Gongsun Yue, is it? What are you doing here?" Liu Kuan asked curiously. "Where is my carriage, and the old servant who drives it?"

"Teacher." Gongsun Yue hurriedly jumped down from the carriage and saluted with a smile. "I sent your household man back on his own... As for why I'm here, to be honest with you, Teacher, it was my elder brother Gongsun Xun who sent me to bring you to Goushi Mountain."

"Oh?" Liu Kuan couldn't help but feel somewhat wary. "What for, at Goushi?"

"It's like this: recently my elder brother came into several dan of Liangzhou grape wine." At this point, Gongsun Yue smiled appropriately. "He knows that you, Teacher, love fine wine above all else, so he absolutely dared not keep it for himself. But with the weather so hot now, and the grape wine stored in a deep-dug cellar, he neither dares move it easily to Luoyang, nor does he dare risk the cellar not holding up much longer in this heat..."

"That's true enough." Liu Kuan couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He had to admit, even someone of Liu Kuan's family background rarely got to drink grape wine.

"In short." Gongsun Yue bowed again in salute. "The locust plague in Henan has recently passed, which is truly cause for celebration. And the weather is scorching — the summer heat in Luoyang city is simply too oppressive... Therefore, my elder brother has decided to take this opportunity to invite all his friends and fellow students from Luoyang and Goushi to escape the heat and drink wine today by the shaded little stream behind Goushi Mountain. You, Teacher, and Teacher Lu are naturally to be the chief guests. I just don't know if you, Teacher, have the time to spare for this?"

"Ah..." Hearing this, Liu Kuan once again tucked his audience tablet behind his neck, then rubbed his dark, grimy hands together with slight hesitation. "The passing of this locust plague is indeed cause for celebration. And teacher and students drinking together beside a shaded mountain stream — that has quite the charm of Zengzi's sentiment! It's just that I've just come from court and haven't even taken off my official robes..."

"Then, Teacher?"

"Let's go!" Wearing the full official robes, seal, and ribbons of the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, his audience tablet tucked behind his neck, Liu Kuan simply jumped straight onto the other man's carriage. "In the blazing summer heat, five or six capped men, six or seven youths, bathing in the Goushi stream, enjoying the breeze at the rain altar, returning home drunk... When we get there, it won't be too late to change clothes!"

Even though Gongsun Yue was extremely nervous at heart, seeing this scene he couldn't help but burst out laughing. So he too flipped himself up onto the carriage, personally drove, and conveyed this newly dismissed Superintendent of the Imperial Household straight out of Luoyang along the official road, heading directly for Goushi.

"Zeng Xi said: 'In late spring, when the spring clothes are finished, with five or six capped men and six or seven youths, bathing in the Yi River, enjoying the breeze at the rain altar, and returning home singing.' The Master sighed deeply and said: 'I am with Dian.'" — The Analects, Xian Jin

PS: Thanks to the editor-in-chief for his care... we've hit the top of the category rankings.

Also, the new book group is 684558115. Fellow students who are interested can join.

(End of Chapter)