Chapter 470: Clash in the Dark Chamber

After meeting Wu Yong on the hillside, Chen Wen did not rush to seek success, nor did he immediately go to visit Chao Gai.

He knew well that for someone like Wu Yong, whose thoughts are meticulous and skilled at scheming, being overly eager would instead arouse suspicion.

Some seeds, once buried, need time to sprout silently.

He returned to the inn in Yuncheng County, met up with Shi Dun, and during the day he still acted like an ordinary merchant, handling some trifles of "business," or socializing with other merchants in the city, gathering news from all quarters.

In secret, he had Qian Gui's hidden agents closely monitor Wu Yong's movements in Dongxi Village, as well as Song Jiang's words and deeds in Yuncheng County.

Thus two or three days passed.

That evening, the lanterns were first lit.

Chen Wen was in the guest room, leaning by the window to gaze at the sparse lights of Yuncheng County, while he mentally rehearsed his subsequent plans.

Suddenly, the room door was lightly knocked.

Shi Dun cautiously approached the door and asked in a low voice:

"Who?"

A lowered voice came from outside the door:

"Are you Mr. Chen from Hebei? An old friend from Dongxi Village has entrusted this old man to deliver a letter."

Chen Wen and Shi Dun exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

Shi Dun opened the door a crack and saw an old man wearing a bamboo hat, his face indistinct, hand over an unsigned letter, then turned and vanished into the dark hallway.

After closing the door, Shi Dun handed the letter to Chen Wen.

Chen Wen opened the letter; inside was a single sheet of plain paper, on which was written a line in neat and spirited calligraphy:

"At midnight tonight, in the quiet room behind the Earth God Temple east of the village, I will prepare tea and await an honored guest. Wu Yong respectfully."

There were no extra words, but the invitation was clear.

Shi Dun leaned in to take a look and said in a low voice:

"My lord, Wu Yong's sudden invitation, especially at this secluded spot at night, may be a trap; I had better bring a few brothers to secretly guard you."

Chen Wen pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"If Wu Yong meant me harm, he would not so openly invite me, nor would he choose the Earth God Temple, a place symbolizing justice."

"By offering to prepare tea, he clearly intends a private talk."

"Having many people would be inappropriate."

"You come with me and keep watch outside; that will suffice."

At midnight, the moon shone bright and the stars were sparse.

Yuncheng County's city was already under curfew, utterly silent.

Chen Wen and Shi Dun, using the moonlight, quietly left the inn, evaded the night patrol soldiers, left the county, and headed straight for Dongxi Village.

The Earth God Temple east of the village had little incense, and at night it was desolate and uninhabited.

Indeed, behind the temple there was a separate quiet room; at this moment a faint yellow light shone through its lattice window.

Shi Dun made a gesture, indicating that he would keep watch from a concealed spot outside.

Chen Wen straightened his attire, then calmly walked to the quiet room's door and knocked lightly.

"The door is unlatched, Mr. Chen, please come in."

Wu Yong's calm voice came from inside.

Chen Wen pushed the door open and entered.

The room's furnishings were simple: a table, two chairs, a lamp as small as a bean.

Wu Yong was already seated at the table, boiling water in a small earthen stove; the heat rose in wisps, and the tea fragrance permeated the air.

He today wore no headscarf, only a wooden pin to bind his hair, and dressed in more casual home attire, losing some of the scholar's air and gaining a touch of the hermit's bearing.

"Mr. Chen, you truly are a man of your word; please sit."

Wu Yong raised his hand in gesture, pouring Chen Wen a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.

"This coarse mountain tea is not meant as a formal courtesy; it merely serves to dispel the chill."

"The scholar stands on ceremony."

Chen Wen sat opposite, lifted his teacup, gave it a light sniff, and praised:

"The tea aroma is clear and pure; it is good tea."

The two sat opposite each other sipping tea; for a moment neither spoke, only the faint crackling of charcoal in the earthen stove and the subtle sound of tea pouring into the cup.

The air was filled with a tacit tranquility and probing.

Finally, Wu Yong spoke first, setting down his teacup and gazing intently at Chen Wen.

"Mr. Chen, the other day on the hillside, your words were like the evening drum and morning bell, deeply thought-provoking. After returning, I pondered them repeatedly and could not sleep."

"You earlier spoke of 'great righteousness' and mentioned that Liangshanpo could be a 'pure land'; I wonder… was that just idle talk, or did you have something specific in mind?"

Chen Wen met his gaze and answered frankly:

"Although I am merely a merchant, I have read a few lines of the sages' writings and understand some principles of family, state, and all under heaven."

"Seeing the people in dire straits, the common folk upside-down, who with a passionate heart could remain unmoved?"

"What I said comes straight from the heart. As for what I meant…"

He paused, his voice softened, yet each word remained clear.

"The scholar wonders, in this day and age, what constitutes great righteousness?"

Wu Yong slowly swayed his feather fan, pondered, and said:

"Great righteousness means securing the state above and comforting the people below. But now the imperial court… alas, the ruler is obsessed with auspicious signs, ministers only know how to amass wealth, local officials are corrupt as a habit, border troubles recur, and the people cannot make a living. Where is the state to be secured? Where are the people to be comforted?"

"Since the upper cannot be secured and the lower cannot be comforted," Chen Wen said, his eyes sharpening, "should this great righteousness not be defined and enacted by those who cherish the people and harbor the world in their hearts?"

Wu Yong's pupils contracted slightly.

"Sir, these words……are somewhat shocking to convention. To define righteousness for oneself, is that not……rebellion?"

"Rebellion?"

Chen Wen gave a light smile, his expression carrying a hint of ridicule and pity.

"Scholar, having read the histories thoroughly, you ought to know: 'The Tang and Wu revolutions followed Heaven and answered the people.'"

"If Heaven no longer cares for the people's lives, and the people suffer beyond endurance, then why cannot overthrowing the old and establishing the new, setting up new rules, be a kind of 'righteousness'?"

"Must we wait until corpses litter the land, until children are eaten, before it counts as 'officials forcing the people to rebel', before it is 'just and proper'?"

"A true hero ought to have foresight and the courage to take the initiative to break the impasse!"

"His words were not loud, yet they thundered like a startling clap in Wu Yong's heart."

"Foresight……initiative to break the impasse……"

Wu Yong murmured these two words over and over, light flashing intensely in his eyes.

Chen Wen continued, his tone growing deep.

"Take Liangshanpo, for example: if it only knows how to plunder merchants and fight the official troops, even if it gains temporary advantage, it will end as bandits, doomed to destruction, or……be taken in by amnesty and turned into a blade in others' hands—what benefit would that bring to the world's great trend, to the people amidst water and fire?"

"But if, at the outset of gathering in righteousness, we set a different aspiration?"

"Not for personal gain, but to create a new world?"

"Not confined to these eight hundred li of waters, but with hearts set on the broader mountains and rivers of Northward Aspiration?"

"Taking this as our goal, we will straighten military discipline, develop production, protect one region, attract heroes from all quarters to join, and accumulate strength……"

"Then perhaps today's Liangshan may become tomorrow's……seed of hope."

"Northward Aspiration's mountains and rivers……seed of hope……"

The feather fan in Wu Yong's hand had stopped; he stared intently at Chen Wen, as if trying to see deep into his heart.

"Master Chen, you……just who are you? Such words could never be spoken by an ordinary merchant!"

Chen Wen met his gaze and spoke frankly:

"Who I am is not important."

"What matters is whether the scholar agrees with this reasoning."

"What matters is whether the scholar wishes to continue in Dongxi Village, wasting his talents while watching the situation deteriorate, or is willing, together with a hero like Chao Gai the Heavenly King, to step out of this petty scheming and play a true game that concerns the world and the people."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice carrying a power that captivated the heart.

"The chessboard is already before our eyes."

"The hand that holds the pieces can also be guided by the heart."

"The crux lies in whether the scholar……dares to place this first piece."

Within the quiet room, a long silence fell.

Only the occasional soft sound of the lampflower bursting.

Wu Yong's complexion shifted unpredictably—sometimes excited, sometimes solemn, sometimes bewildered.

Chen Wen knew that his words were fiercely striking Wu Yong's entrenched mental framework, leading him onto a path that was grander yet more perilous.

After a long while, Wu Yong exhaled deeply, as if shedding a thousand‑jin burden; his gaze cleared again, yet with added resolve and depth.

He rose to his feet and, facing Chen Wen, gave a solemn bow.

"Hearing your words is better than ten years of study."

"Master, today's words have taught me……!"

He did not state his position directly, but this bow already said everything.

Chen Wen also rose and returned the salute with clasped hands.

"Scholar, you overpraise me. The road lies underfoot; how to proceed still needs you and Chao Gai the Heavenly King to weigh yourselves."

"I, Chen Wen, cannot stay long; I take my leave now."

"Please go slowly, Master."

Chen Wen turned, pushed open the door of the quiet room, and merged into the night outside.

Wu Yong stood alone beneath the lamp, gazing at the swaying door panels, silent for a long time.

In his heart, a flame named 'Northward Aspiration' had already been lit.

And Chen Wen, walking the night road back to the county town, felt his mind clear.

In the clash with the 'Zhiduoxing' in the dark chamber, the first round saw him successfully sow a seed surpassing the original 'script'.

Next, it remains to see what kind of branches this seed will sprout in the hearts of Wu Yong and Chao Gai.

The night wind blew, bringing chill yet also the particular freshness before dawn.