Chapter 297: The Reason

Are there any prostitutes in the city?

This was an extremely absurd remark. Compared to it, the Emperor's earlier baseless questioning of the Sage Duke's integrity, his public mockery of the Plum Blossom Han family head's incompetence, and even his earlier frivolous actions of taking money from both nobles and religious figures all seemed insignificant.

But what suffocated these national elites in the pavilion, who understood everything, was that this light, absurd statement weighed on them like Mount Tai, making it hard to breathe.

Let's consider: how did prostitutes come to be?

They were simply young women whose families had been ruined. Otherwise, who would be willing to serve drinks, even if it were legal?

Back when Meng Yuanlao presented "The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor," some scholars at the Imperial Academy mocked him, saying that a few dish names had the word "prostitute" added, wondering whether there was more salt or more prostitute in those dishes... Their intent was to satirize that the calamity of the Jingkang Incident had already shown signs amid the era of abundance and prosperity.

But the Eastern Capital of today was not the same as the Eastern Capital before the Jingkang Incident.

After the Jingkang Rebellion, until Zhao Jiu arrived in the Eastern Capital in the spring of the third year of the Jianyan era, the city's population had been steadily flowing outward due to continuous warfare. From a peak of over a million, it had once fallen to fewer than two hundred thousand, including soldiers and their families. Even the entire Henan region was experiencing population outflow at the time.

In other words, much of what was in the Eastern Capital at this time was, to a considerable extent, disconnected from what had been before the Jingkang Incident. Many market activities had been rapidly recreated within a year or two because of the old capital's reputation and the return of the political center.

By the same logic, prostitutes couldn't have suddenly appeared out of thin air after five or six years. If a large number of prostitutes now existed in the Eastern Capital, they could only be women of appropriate age whose families had been ruined in the Jingkang calamity, or else the result of earlier social decay. Considering that the court, upon returning to the Eastern Capital, had immediately implemented measures like land registration, military farming, and land grants for the then-devastated Henan... it couldn't be said to be one hundred percent, but nine and a half out of ten were due to the calamities of war.

There was no way around it. In times of chaos, women of appropriate age were essentially a form of human property in the face of unchecked military force.

The Two Emperors using the city's women to pay reparations was one such case. If a large number of prostitutes existed in the Eastern Capital now, it must have been for similar reasons.

So, if you wanted to know the situation of the righteous people and martyrs, asking those women who had been reduced to prostitution was the most direct way. They surely had many stories to tell.

But upon suddenly realizing this, one couldn't help but feel embarrassed and ashamed.

A noble of a thousand years had fled to Yangzhou for two years carrying an ancestral wooden statue. A man from a family that had held high office for four generations had been well-fed and well-treated by the Jin for half a year in Hebei. Even a minister recognized for his integrity was beyond reward. The Zhao clan women, once demanded back, were immediately given large houses. Even the Two Emperors could spend their old age peacefully in temples and monasteries. But millions, perhaps tens of millions, had died since the Jingkang Incident, and their families could only be ground to dust, even forced into prostitution.

Surreal?

Not at all. Quite the opposite—it was very real.

Embarrassing?

Of course it was still embarrassing. Everyone who could come near this pavilion had personally experienced the Jingkang Incident and the Jianyan exile. They were people with some ability and some ideals.

They could even barely be called battle-hardened veterans.

Once such people realized this, they naturally felt an extreme sense of shame.

"Your Majesty!"

Just as the scene reached its most awkward point, someone suddenly broke the silence. It was the Grand Councilor Lü Haowen. He cupped his hands without saying much, but his intent to stop the matter was clear.

Lü Haowen's stepping forward made everyone breathe a sigh of relief, and it was a huge weight off Yang Yizhong, who was terrified to the extreme... In truth, everyone had something to say to stop it, but none had the strength to do so.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiu, who had initiated the matter, hesitated for a moment, then actually nodded slightly and abandoned the idea on the spot: "I understand. Don't ask the prostitutes, then."

Of course they understood... Even if Academician Lin was serving as Grand Coordinator in Guanxi at the time, it didn't stop everyone, including Zhao Jiu who had suddenly thought of it, from gradually understanding during the previous silence, gradually figuring everything out.

Not to mention the uproar that summoning prostitutes into the palace would cause, consider another matter: had these women, who had suffered from the calamities of war, only suffered from the Jin army's calamities? They were certainly mostly families of innocent victims, but had all those innocent victims died fighting the Jin?

Zong Ze's Eastern Capital Defense Command had once gathered righteous armies against the Jin in the Eastern Capital, claiming a million men, with over a hundred thousand actual combat-ready troops. They were the nation's mainstay, established even earlier than Li Yanxian in Shanzhou. Were they all perfectly disciplined?

Zhang Yu, known as "A Swarm of Bees," who liked to make commoners fight each other in pairs—hadn't he been a righteous army against the Jin? How many widows did he create? Yang Jin, "The Hornless Sheep," rebelled, surrendered, then rebelled again. He ravaged all the way from the Yangtze River to the Yellow River. Among those who fought him were at least one Grand Councilor, one Prefect of Kaifeng, one Prince of Yan'an, and two Vice Commanders-in-Chief... He captured cities and territories along the way, gathering over a hundred thousand followers by the time he reached the Yellow River. Though the number was inflated by conscription, how many widows did he alone create?

Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun's troops were also the nation's mainstay at the time. But when these two armies fought, did they not also cause calamities? Back at Jingou Town, Zhao Jiu truly didn't want to ask Han Shizhong where the townspeople had gone, and he still couldn't ask now.

And what about Liu Guangshi's subordinates?

What about Fan Qiong? Fan Qiong, who flayed people alive, was a proper government army commander. He was precisely the first court army commander to control the Eastern Capital after the Jingkang Incident, and then he went south, establishing a separate regime in Xiangyang.

Some things really couldn't be delved into... Suddenly realizing, shouting out of instinct and impulse, but soon falling silent, then having to bury some things deep in the heart.

If they actually summoned people and asked, one would say her husband was killed by government troops, another would say a righteous army against the Jin killed her father and brother and took her away... How could they explain that?

"But this matter can't just end here."

In the nameless stone pavilion, still silent as a graveyard, Zhao Jiu's expression didn't change. He flipped to the end of the last booklet, signed and sealed it, then turned his head back to Yang Yizhong. "I want to know the approximate number and distribution of prostitutes in the Eastern Capital. Go and find out, won't you?"

Yang Yizhong finally bowed and agreed, then fled as if on wings.

"We'll handle it this way for now... but we must give an explanation to these people whose names can't even be found." Zhao Jiu closed the roster and looked expressionlessly at the few councilors before him. "How about erecting a nameless monument for the martyrs? Millions have died; there should be a monument."

"It's not appropriate now." It was Lü Haowen again, which added another layer of shame for Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun. "Your Majesty, the Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few days away. There's no time to make a large monument. A small one would seem perfunctory. Besides, we've only just turned from defense to offense, to stabilize people's hearts. This isn't the time for a true memorial. After the Northern Expedition, when we've recovered the Two Rivers, pacified Yan and Yun, and restored the golden bowl, wouldn't it be fine to erect a large monument then?"

"There must be one eventually." Zhao Jiu nodded, then shook his head. "But what Councilor Lü says is reasonable. First, have the Ministry of Rites prepare a large, conspicuous blank spirit tablet and place it in the center!"

Zhai Ruwen, whose mouth was already feeling dry, quickly acknowledged.

"That's all for today. If there's anything, we'll discuss it in a few days!" Having finished this, Zhao Jiu, acting as if nothing had happened, waved his hand, signaling for everyone to withdraw.

From Lü Haowen down, everyone cupped their hands and bowed, then, like Yang Yizhong, left without delay, hurrying away.

Leaving aside how Zhao Jiu felt after dismissing his ministers, and how Yang Yizhong would handle this task, the ministers, after walking a few dozen steps out of the stone pavilion, split up again. The close officials headed toward the side rooms behind Jingfu Palace, near the fish pond inside Yingyang Gate... That was their official duty room in the rear palace. Although they had just escaped the Emperor, as close officials, they had to wait there on standby. The councilors and high ministers, from Lü Haowen down, went west through Linhua Gate in the setting sun, then turned south, slowly heading back.

"Councilor Lü is a true councilor."

Along the way, no one spoke a word. But halfway, just before passing Yiyou Gate, Zhao Ding suddenly spoke with emotion, causing those around him to pause slightly. "If not for Councilor Lü just now, we would have been at a loss."

"Indeed." Li Guang also sighed. He, who usually loved to argue on such occasions, had just been in a state of utter collapse, unable to refute or stop anything, leaving him deeply ashamed.

"True councilor, false councilor—we're all forced into it..." Lü Haowen walked at the front with his hands tucked into his sleeves. He glanced back at the remark, then turned forward again, speaking slowly as he walked. "Like the Emperor, forced into this position. You have to do what you don't want to do, say what you don't want to say. But to be honest, if Councilor Zhao had spoken first, why would I have needed to? Just as if we could have spoken first, the Emperor might not have had to say such things."

Zhao Ding was half embarrassed, half helpless: "Some things really are unimaginable."

This was the absolute truth. Judging by Zhao Jiu's reaction today, it was also a sudden thought, purely accidental. So Lü Haowen just shook his head slightly and continued forward.

But for some reason, just as he reached Yiyou Gate, he suddenly stopped, causing everyone else to stop as well.

"Councilor Zhao, how old are you this year?" Lü Haowen turned around and asked seriously.

"Forty-seven." Zhao Ding was alert but answered promptly.

Lü Haowen nodded and then looked at Zhang Jun: "And Councilor Zhang?"

"Thirty-five." Zhang Jun was a bit caught off guard.

"Councilor Liu?"

"Forty-nine." Liu Ji quickly replied.

"Councilor Chen."

"I'm nearly sixty." Chen Gui stroked his beard and sighed. "Thanks to the Emperor's grace, just three years ago, I never thought I would hold a councilor's position in this life."

Lü Haowen ignored Chen Gui and continued asking: "Master Li?"

“Fifty-three.” Li Guang dared not be negligent either.

“I am nearly seventy.” Lu Haowen nodded slightly, his expression solemn. “Among the councilors, aside from Zhang Jun being younger, the rest are fairly steady—even Minister Chen and Minister Zhai are like that… But do you all know how old those fellows in Guanxi are?”

The group exchanged glances; apart from Zhang Jun, who felt a pang of wariness, the others were lost in thought.

Hu Yin, Liu Ziyu, and Lin Jingmo—their exact ages might not be immediately clear, but they were definitely younger than Zhao Ding, and much younger at that.

“And what about the eight military governors who actually hold military power?” Lu Haowen, seeing that they understood, pressed on without waiting for an answer. “Zhang Boying is the oldest, at forty-five; Wang De is next, at forty-four; Han Liangchen is third, at forty-two; the rest, from Qu Da on down, have not yet reached forty, and Yue Pengju is only twenty-nine…”

“But they are all heroes.” Zhang Jun couldn’t help interjecting in defense.

“Exactly that.” Lu Haowen nodded slightly. “They are all heroes… And the key is that His Majesty is only twenty-five.”

“What do you mean by that, Duke?” Li Guang asked seriously.

“Nothing else. Today, I merely wish to ask you all presumptuously: since ancient times, has there ever been a ruler who employed people as willingly to compromise as His Majesty?” Lu Haowen replied slowly. “After Yaoshan, with His Majesty’s power and ability, he could clearly have formed a team of young heroes to take charge, a team more to his liking. So why did he still use people like us? Could he not have used Lin Jingmo as Grand Coordinator? Could he not have used Hu Yin? Or, taking a step back, simply let Zhang Jun be the Chief Councilor of the Secretariat—who could stop him? Taking another step back, to silence the world’s criticism, could he not have used someone with deep seniority, someone more to his liking like Lu Yihao as Grand Coordinator? But why you and me? Why, even after the Shaoxing incident, did he so earnestly insist on keeping Censor-in-Chief Li?”

“Because…” Amid a long silence, Zhao Ding looked up for a moment and sighed. “Because His Majesty wanted to borrow our steadiness.”

“Correct.” Lu Haowen nodded slightly, then grew stern. “But think back: we have been councilors for over a year now, and in some matters, you and I have been too steady… Not to mention anything else—if Lu Yihao were here, the matter of negotiating peace to welcome back the Two Emperors would never have arisen! The Shaoxing incident would never have happened! The so-called public opinion would at most have fallen on Lu Yihao alone, because long before that, he would have driven out those who resigned during Shaoxing! Gentlemen, no matter how small the subsequent turmoil was, in the Shaoxing affair, letting His Majesty personally handle the Two Emperors and personally dismiss those seventy or eighty people was still a dereliction of duty on our part as so-called steady councilors!”

Chief Councilor Zhao Ding’s face turned pale; the other councilors, including Censor-in-Chief Li Guang, also looked grave, and even Military Commissioner Zhang Jun was completely solemn. Because at this moment, someone had finally held the councilor team accountable for the political upheaval of the past few months… But this accountability did not come from His Majesty Zhao, nor from the young officials and students after the Secret Pavilion incident, so it was not so formal or severe.

Moreover, Lu Haowen had included himself—a duke who did not need to bear responsibility for the incident—in the scope of accountability, and had done so privately in the form of self-criticism, effectively avoiding potential political risks.

Yet this was still a standard accountability session aimed at the councilor team.

At the same time, everyone present knew that the responsibility for this matter could not possibly fall on Lu Haowen, who was not involved in day-to-day affairs.

The responsible parties were the four councilors plus the Censor-in-Chief, who could be called half a councilor. It was an accusation that the four councilors and one Censor-in-Chief had failed to successfully manage risks, had not demonstrated the responsibility and capability expected of councilors during a political crisis, and had not safeguarded the Son of Heaven’s political image.

This was their collective dereliction.

“I…” Zhao Ding wanted to speak but did not know what to say.

“The matter is over. His Majesty has already borne the public’s words and personally driven those people away. More talk now is useless. Besides, you and I know well that this His Majesty does not care about such things, nor can you or I restrain him.” Lu Haowen shifted his tone, still stern. “But you and I must learn from this mistake. What matters now is how to proceed in the future. Otherwise, how can we speak of carrying on the past and opening the future, of assisting the ruler in achieving great deeds… Councilor Zhang?”

“Ah?” Zhang Jun, caught off guard, could only respond.

“After the Battle of Yaoshan, emotions ran high. I heard that there was some rather rash talk in Guanxi at the time. You and the fellows in Guanxi regarded the position of councilor as something in your pocket, but His Majesty placed Hu, Lin, Lu, Liu, and others outside, made Councilor Zhao the chief, and put you second… Were you dissatisfied?”

Zhang Jun was dumbfounded… Was this actually coming from Lu Haowen?

But stunned as he was, Zhang Deyuan quickly came to his senses. The other party was interrogating him from the high ground of a duke’s position, and this place was at the boundary between the rear and front palaces—both public and private—so not a single misstep could be allowed.

Therefore, he immediately replied seriously: “Absolutely not!”

“That’s good.” Lu Haowen remained stern. “I believe that His Majesty’s arrangement back then was remarkable. Because His Majesty was thinking of the overall situation, worried that the state would be hijacked by the military, that the people’s livelihood in the south would be neglected, and that a hasty northern advance would lead to losses both internal and external… So he used the steady Councilor Zhao as Chief Councilor of the Secretariat and the enterprising Councilor Zhang as Military Commissioner, aiming for balance. However, no one expected that the officials within this Great Song court were naturally inclined toward stability, and the peace faction gradually grew in power and influence, leading to such troublesome affairs. At that time, the responsibility fell more on me and Councilor Zhao, because we steady councilors should have stopped this trend from the start.”

Having said this, Lu Haowen stared at Zhang Jun and continued slowly: “And now, whether it was the peace faction or the defense faction, they have been completely purged. The people have cursed, the officials have been cleansed, and the key posts filled in are mostly young officials who advocated war during the previous turmoil…”

At this point, among the group, Li Guang couldn’t help but glance at his close friend Chen Gongfu, who merely stood with a stern face, hands clasped, listening.

“As they say, times have changed.” Lu Haowen continued to face Zhang Jun sternly. “Councilor Zhang, what I mainly want to tell you today is this: you are the leader of the war faction. If you think you have succeeded and will henceforth disregard the state’s livelihood, allowing those young men to collude with the military governors and clamor for war, then you are making the same mistake as Councilor Zhao and I did before—only in the opposite direction, and you will be overturning His Majesty’s painstaking efforts!”

Zhang Jun gave a bitter smile and could only spread his hands: “Duke Lu, what you say makes a lot of sense, but I haven’t done anything, have I?”

“By the time things surface, it will be too late.” Lu Haowen sighed seriously. “Some things must be said sooner or later; it’s better to say them early… Councilor Zhang!”

“I’m here!” Zhang Jun replied helplessly.

“You must remember: you are a dignified Military Commissioner, one of the top three ministers in the state no matter how you count. In all matters, you must consider the state’s overall situation, understand the ruler’s intentions above, resolve conflicts below, harmonize yin and yang, and ensure the state’s stable operation as the priority. Only then can you think about achievements or fame. Or, to put it another way: if you handle your duties properly, when the state achieves something in the future, how could you be denied a share of the glory? The Son of Heaven entrusts the state to you, just like the force and velocity discussed recently in the original learning—suddenly, an acceleration appears from somewhere, maybe positive, maybe skewed, maybe backward, maybe forward. What you should do is not wait for this velocity to build up, but apply a counterforce to cancel it out.”

Zhang Jun listened for a long while, unable to refute, but being young, he couldn’t help retorting: “Councilor Lu… Your words today are so different from what you said at Bagongshan. Have you changed, or has His Majesty changed?”

Lu Haowen gave him a deep look and shook his head: “If we’re talking about change, who hasn’t changed over such a long time? But regarding what you and I are discussing, His Majesty hasn’t changed, and I haven’t changed either. It’s just that the situation has changed, and our positions have changed! Back then, the state was in peril, and His Majesty wanted to fight to the death. I, having experienced the Jingkang disaster and being disheartened, and with Li Gang entrusting me with his legacy in Yangzhou, naturally spoke those reckless words. Now that the state has stabilized the overall situation, His Majesty is determined to campaign northward and restore the nine provinces. And I, having gone through Bagongshan, Nanyang, and last year’s entrustment of the orphan at this gate, remain in court at this age for no other reason than to help His Majesty steady the pace… So of course I blame myself for the dereliction of the past few months! As for you, Councilor Zhang, I once entrusted you with my writings on Neo-Confucianism, but I wonder if you can still remember the principles of original learning I just spoke of?”

Zhang Deyuan opened his mouth but found no words, could only bow his head in agreement, saying that he would certainly study the recent chapters on original learning when he returned.

And Lu Haowen, having lectured the two powerful councilors, simply turned and continued pacing away. The others hurriedly followed. When they reached the Yiyou Gate, this duke did not head south toward the Chongwen Institute, the Secretariat, or the Secret Pavilion, but instead turned directly toward the Donghua Gate and left the palace alone.

Thus, leaving aside what thoughts the councilors took back with them, in the palace, as the night reached the third watch, a single candle was lit as usual in the Jingfu Palace. The solitary Zhao, His Majesty, was unusually not sleeping early but lying on the couch, listening to the insects chirping outside, waiting for someone.

Yang Yizhong, having made the arduous round trip, knew he couldn’t avoid this, but still came cautiously to report.

“How is it?” Zhao Jiu, seeing Yang Yizhong enter, blurted out before the latter could bow.

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Yang Yizhong replied earnestly. “To investigate this matter thoroughly would take at least ten days to half a month, and by then the Mid-Autumn Festival sacrifice would be long over. And to distinguish the relatives of the righteous people among them, it might not be possible until after this postponed grand examination.”

“Since I am waiting for you here tonight, I am not asking for such details. There must be some general data, right?” Zhao Jiu, wrapped in a robe, clasped his hands in the candlelight. “I only need some general information and approximate proportions… That should be easy to obtain, shouldn’t it?”

“Yes.” Yang Yizhong, knowing it was unavoidable, stepped forward to report. “Let Your Majesty know: according to the law, all prostitutes must be registered with the authorities. What I have investigated shows that there are five hundred and seventy-eight registered in the official registry, most of them added in the past year or two—far fewer than the nearly ten thousand names on the registry before the Jingkang era.”

“If the difference weren’t so great, I might as well jump into a well again.”

Yang Yizhong pretended not to hear this and continued standing in the shadow before the couch: “But in reality, as I understand it, besides the official registry, there are unregistered private prostitutes in the night market and tavern clusters east of the city, and along the Cai River south of the city. The proportions compared to the official registry vary. I had several subordinates, under the pretext of investigating Jin spies, sternly question twenty or thirty managers of major taverns separately. Averaging their accounts, in the prosperous eastern part of the city, the ratio is roughly less than one to one—that is, each tavern has at least a dozen, at most twenty or thirty, depending on the tavern’s business volume. In the southern city’s market area, it’s harder to tally, but it’s generally agreed to be higher… roughly one to two or three compared to the official registry.”

“To evade taxes? The southern city is poorer?”

“Yes!”

“So the total is around two thousand?”

“Yes…”

“Why do I feel that’s a bit low?” Zhao Jiu was puzzled. “With constant warfare, millions of people have been displaced from their homes. Dongjing is the largest city in the world…”

“Your Majesty,” Yang Yizhong replied seriously. “I asked. Most are sold directly into wealthy households. Your Majesty once ordered a redemption campaign in Henan and the Lianghuai region… But many were sold south of the Huai River, so that number is truly difficult to ascertain. As for the capital here, I also heard some other talk from certain people: that Your Majesty favors frugality and dislikes the former Emperor Daodao’s past habits of pleasure-seeking, so those below dare not indulge lightly. When wealthy families return, they mostly buy maidservants from outside to avoid scrutiny, and for occasional feasts, they order takeout or hire famous chefs to dine and amuse themselves in private residences.”

Zhao Jiu, coming to his senses with a stir in his heart, asked further: “Among those two thousand, what proportion are definitely ruined by the Jin military disaster?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you speaking?”

“I fear that if I speak, Your Majesty won’t believe it.”

“…”

“I first had people ask twenty or thirty major tavern managers. Among them, the highest proportion given was one in four, the lowest one in ten, averaging out to about one in eight. Later, I went to the Cai River night market and asked another twenty or thirty tavern managers, and it was the same.” Yang Yizhong replied earnestly. “Your Majesty… Before the third year of Jianyan, local bandit armies and rebel soldiers caused more harm than the Jin. After the third year of Jianyan, the Jin’s devastation mostly affected refugees from Hebei, but the authorities set up reception and resettlement points at various crossings on the Yellow River. In contrast, refugees from Jingdong were more scattered, and their plight can only be blamed on Liu Yu and Li Cheng.”

Zhao Jiu had already believed it in his heart, even feeling a sense of “just as I thought,” but he remained silent on his face. After a long while, he spoke, seemingly skipping over the matter: “Zhengfu…”

“Your servant is here.”

“Do you still remember our private words at Bagongshan?”

Yang Yizhong’s heart fluttered with panic, and he quickly composed himself, bowing his head: “Your servant does not know which words you refer to?”

"If the Jin cross the river, just finish that sentence for me... I've forgotten how it goes."

"Your servant has also forgotten." Yang Yizhong steeled himself to answer carefully. This was not something to remember—at the very least, he could not say he still remembered those words.

"There's another sentence... the one I said to Liu Guangshi. You must remember that one, right?" Zhao Jiu continued questioning. "Something about 'I would rather lose the realm'..."

"Your servant naturally remembers that one."

"And that matter in Shaoxing—I could have handled it more properly, but why, knowing it would stir up public opinion, did I still act so decisively?" Zhao Jiu reclined sideways on the couch, lost in thought. "All these things, not just one or two. Tell me... why did I say those nonsensical things and do those nonsensical things?"

Before Yang Yizhong could speak, the Emperor answered himself, muttering: "At root, it's because I feel some things must be done, and some things are utterly unbearable. So no cost matters; as for words, they are only the surface... For example, if I were to surrender to the Jin and suffer that kind of humiliation, I could not bear it at all, so I would rather die. If I were to keep men like Liu Guangshi, Fan Qiong, and Du Chong around for the sake of a stable throne, I could not bear that either. And that time in Shaoxing—whether it was giving the Two Sages a good face or agreeing to peace talks and cutting off this breath of resolve—I could not bear it from the start... Today's matter is much the same! Yang Yizhong, since the third year of Jianyan, after you settled in Dongjing, how many maidservants have you added to your household?"

Yang Yizhong looked up in alarm and blurted out: "Over thirty... Your servant deserves ten thousand deaths!"

"No need for ten thousand deaths, not even one death." Zhao Jiu sneered in response. "Otherwise I would have to kill all the civil and military officials in court... Even after the two Empresses Dowager returned, didn't they recruit many new palace women? I'm just asking. Besides, I just read some legal documents—this dynasty is much more enlightened than the Tang. In the Tang, free and bond could not intermarry, and slaves were treated like cattle and horses. This dynasty only permits hired labor; so-called bondservants, though discriminated against, are legally commoners... This is a great glory of our dynasty! It makes me proud! But I also feel that such good laws cannot be allowed to regress in practice because of the war... Otherwise, what talk of 'Continuing the Song' would there be? Rest assured, this matter does not involve life and death or swords and blades."

Yang Yizhong breathed a sigh of relief and was about to speak again when he saw the Emperor directly toss his outer robe onto the couch, burrow under the covers, then turn over with his back to him: "Let it be done this way. I am tired. Leave now."

Yang Yizhong, dazed, quickly took his leave. After turning out of the rear hall of Jingfu Palace and reaching the courtyard, he looked up at the star-filled sky and was momentarily lost in thought. Words as stimulating as today's, he seemed to have grown accustomed to by now.

Time passed, and the Mid-Autumn Festival finally arrived. Early that morning, the Emperor Zhao Jiu bid farewell to the two Empresses Dowager, raised the golden yak-tail standard, and led the assembled civil and military officials, meritorious nobles and renowned scholars, Imperial Academy students, Military Academy students, and the several hundred monks and Daoists hastily gathered, in full ceremonial regalia, out of the city westward, arriving before noon at Yuetai, not far from the city.

The entire city's populace poured out, and this time, learning from the previous military review, various areas had been demarcated early on.

The Emperor, along with the civil and military officials, meritorious nobles, and renowned scholars, naturally resided atop Yuetai. The several hundred monks and Daoists were split in two—Daoists on the left, monks on the right—spreading out layer by layer from the sides of Yuetai. The Daoists on the left formed what was called the "Three Pure Ones Sealing Gods and Free and Unfettered Great Formation"; the monks on the right formed the "Buddha Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Great Formation."

Opposite Yuetai, areas had been demarcated early on, with viewing areas set aside. Several hundred Imperial Academy and Military Academy students were arrayed in various places, guiding and channeling the viewing populace, maintaining order alongside Kaifeng Prefecture officials and some soldiers, so that tens of thousands could watch the ceremony. Those who disobeyed were directly expelled and detained in the Yuetai camp diagonally opposite... In the words of those eloquent Imperial Academy students themselves, the Imperial Academy and Military Academy students were now as valuable as the Han dynasty's Gentleman Cadets—not bad at all.

Of course, some of the Imperial Academy students also had the task of writing articles for the official gazette, so that need not be elaborated.

However, by noon, when the so-called auspicious hour had arrived, although the watching populace had gathered in their designated areas as agreed, there was still some restlessness and confusion... Simply put, they had not yet seen any altars, spirit tablets, or incense burners.

"Then let it begin!" Zhao Jiu, seeing Grand Councilor Chen Gui step forward to inquire, merely sat upright on the platform and nodded casually.

Chen Gui, having received the oral decree, passed the order to fire signal cannons as ceremonial salutes, telling everyone not to be alarmed. The decree was passed down from the platform and then relayed to the populace... The populace merely laughed, boasting that they had heard fireworks, firecrackers, and Jin army trebuchets—what noise had they not heard? How could they be startled? Besides, several dozen trebuchets were set up in the open fields southwest of Yuetai, visible at a glance—how could they be frightened?

But the court's actions were slow. For just a few dozen stone-throwing trebuchets, the order was repeated over a dozen times, and after waiting for a good while, flags finally waved in response from below the trebuchets. By then, many, including some important civil and military officials, were growing impatient.

Soon, however, as one trebuchet suddenly fired and its projectile landed in the open area, the ground exploded with a violent sound, like a clap of thunder—truly a thunderbolt from a clear sky, shaking the wilderness. On Yuetai nearby, many officials, nobles, monks, and Daoists nearly jumped up in shock. But it was visibly the trebuchet's doing, and everyone knew the court was making gunpowder bundles, so although startled by the power of the gunpowder projectile, they were merely stunned.

The watching populace opposite was no different, each startled by the trebuchet's noise, momentarily losing their composure.

After the trebuchets fired eighteen in succession, sounding eighteen times, while the crowd was still dazed, the rolling sound of horse hooves was heard as cavalry emerged from the Yuetai camp... causing everyone to be startled again. Wasn't this a memorial ceremony? Why was there another military review?

But soon, shouts and cheers arose from the viewing area.

It turned out that these troops advanced in formation, none carrying weapons in hand. Instead, they held up broken equipment and gear to display—undoubtedly captured Jin army equipment. The first to arrive were Imperial Guard soldiers, all holding helmets bearing marks of swords and axes. They threw the helmets down beside the pile of monks on one side of Yuetai and then turned and left.

In an instant, a small mountain of battered helmets was piled up amidst an increasingly frenzied atmosphere, as terrifying as a skull mound, and as stirring and maddening as a skull mound.

Of course, somewhat unexpectedly, this formed a stark contrast with the bald heads of the several hundred monks beside them... But to be honest, it really wasn't intentional.

And so, after the helmets came broken weapons, flags stretched open on wooden frames, and torn armor and uniforms. Four small mountains were quickly stacked into hills on either side of Yuetai as cavalry streamed back and forth.

Across from the hills, the people of Dongjing were already boiling over, their noise rumbling—it was impossible to calm them down by force. Amidst the small hills, atop and below Yuetai, the monks and Daoists were already dumbfounded. Even the civil and military officials who knew this was coming had never imagined the visual effect would be so astonishing.

After this experience, anyone present, having seen these items hastily sent by the various Imperial Guard units, could only acknowledge one fact: the Jin could indeed be defeated in battle!

The fear and insecurity from the Jingkang era would be completely dispelled.

As for why they could be defeated, it was of course because of the Emperor... and of course because of those righteous martyrs who died for the country... Once the four small hills were piled up, the Imperial Guard troops continued to cycle in and out of the Yuetai camp. This time, they were fully armed, each unit of a hundred men escorting a spirit tablet, which they continuously offered up on Yuetai.

The first was a huge, nameless spirit tablet.

After that came spirit tablets headed by town names, so-called "Spirit Tablets of the Righteous People of Such-and-Such City/Town/Village"... This was somewhat contrary to ritual propriety, for since ancient times, no one had ever erected collective spirit tablets to honor nameless people.

Moreover, these spirit tablets appeared even before those of the already-enfeoffed famous ministers and righteous martyrs, and they were presumptuously placed at the head, with the nameless tablet at the very front, occupying the central and highest position.

Though they might not understand the term "psychological suggestion," everyone understood that this arrangement meant the Emperor and the court were telling the world: this country survived, we people survived, we could defeat the Jin a few times, and we could hold this memorial ceremony after the autumn harvest—all because of these nameless people!

Their merit was the greatest!

Of course, some might not be convinced.

But with the four small hills standing on either side, no one dared to raise any objection... And the Emperor Zhao Jiu, who had already risen from his seat and stood solemnly beneath the dragon banner, would not permit anyone to question this point.

PS: I have a cold...