Chapter 378: The Five Studies

Cheng Gong returned home with little fanfare, telling no one. Disliking the scene of officials and elders coming to greet him, old acquaintances turning from arrogance to deference, he still wore the patched clothes of his poor days, hiring only a driver and riding a single cart back to Wugong County.

His house was so small it had no carriage shed; he could only stop beneath the great locust tree beside it. Just then his wife heard the horses neighing and came out to look — she never expected her husband to return at this moment, and was so startled the ladle in her hand dropped to the ground. After the shock and joy, she turned her head away and wiped at her tears.

Because many idle folk in the village had said that Cheng Gong had passed the exam to become a Palace Gentleman, gained wealth and rank, and would never come back!

"Time was tight. After the exam I entered the palace at once, and only today found the leisure to return home."

Though still dressed in coarse cloth, Cheng Gong's whole bearing and spirit had clearly changed — the shabby, impoverished scholar of the past was now a favored man at the side of the King of Wei. After a brief moment of tenderness, Cheng Gong added to his wife's hair a silver hairpin bought at the Eastern Market, a pearl set at its tip.

Cheng Gong did not hide where it came from: "I heard this was an object from the Han palace — who knows which beauty or consort wore it. When the King of Wei withdrew from Chang'an, common folk entered the palace and took things. Lately the realm suffers great famine, and grain is tight in Guanzhong too. A fine hairpin like this can be traded for just one dou of rice."

And Cheng Gong, as a Palace Gentleman of two hundred shi, received over five dou of rice in daily salary. Their household would never again endure the bitter days of one meal of hunger, one meal of half-fullness.

By noon, his disciples had gotten word and arrived one after another. Some of them, bearing tallies of office, had gone to serve as clerks in the army of Guard General Wan Xiu; a few others, unwilling to settle, had decided to sit the exam again in two years.

Cheng Gong had naturally not forgotten his disciples. He had them go to the cart and bring over the fine goods that filled it, to divide among themselves.

"Brushes and ink, books and bamboo slips, and paper — so much paper!" The disciples had read the pamphlets distributed by the King of Wei, but production was still limited; outside Chang'an, paper remained a rare thing.

The scholars of the Five Tombs loved silk; the students of the Imperial Academy were devoted to the heavy bamboo slips that "smell of cinnabar and ink the moment you catch the scent," and they scorned paper as a base thing, unworthy to bear good writing and fine essays.

But the impoverished scholars of the countryside did not care — for a group of poor men who could often only practice writing on sandy ground, how could they have too many extravagant demands?

His wife, meanwhile, did not know whether to laugh or cry. It turned out the bulk of Cheng Gong's salary had again been poured into these things. Their household's days, going forward, might not necessarily be easy.

The disciples sat in a circle in the courtyard and asked curiously about everything in the palace — Cheng Gong and the others had been intensively trained by Diwu Lun for over a month, and only those who passed could be sent out to the various offices, commanderies, and counties to "practice."

What did they study in that month and more? Could it be the learning of Master Yang?

Cheng Gong shook his head. He had not expected it beforehand either. The King of Wei spoke constantly of promoting the bequeathed learning of the late master, yet in those two months not a fraction touched upon it. If one had to give a name to what they were made to study, for the time being, let it be called the "Five Studies."

"First, the Director of the Imperial Clan, Diba Jiao, came forward and expounded to us the foundation upon which the State of Wei was established!"

"The Director of the Imperial Clan had studied the Book of Documents at the Imperial Academy, so he began with the 'Songs of the Five Sons.'"

His wife shook her head and went to ladle rice and cook. Her husband had just returned, yet he had already slipped back into the role of teacher. They would not bear to disperse before nightfall.

"Do you all know the 'Songs of the Five Sons'?"

The disciples looked at one another. At last the one from the best family background, who also had the broadest learning, answered: "It comes from the 'Book of Xia.' It tells how Taikang of Xia lost the kingdom, and the five sons of the Xia sovereign set down the teachings of Yu the Great and composed the songs."

Cheng Gong nodded. "The first song opens with this line: 'The people may be drawn near, but may not be placed low. The people are the root of the state — when the root is firm, the state is at peace!'"

"It also says: 'I preside over the myriad people, trembling as though holding rotten reins to drive six horses. He who stands above others, how can he not be reverent?' What do these two lines mean?"

The disciples answered: "The common people may be drawn close, but must not be treated lightly. The people are the root of the state; only when the root is firm can the state be tranquil."

"And Yu the Great, governing the myriad people, was fearful as if driving six horses with frayed ropes. How can the one who acts as sovereign not revere and fear the people?"

"Exactly!" Cheng Gong clapped his hands. "The King of Wei once came in person and stated himself: 'I do not revere only Heaven and the ancestors, but also revere the common people. I do not fear the Greenwood, the Red Eyebrows, or the various Han — I fear only one thing: the hearts of the countless millions of common people!'"

To hold the people in awe and reverence was something the ancients had realized very early, yet it was forgotten time and again through the shifts of dynasties. And now Diwu Lun had drawn it out anew and made it the opening theme and purpose of the "Five Studies."

These "Songs of the Five Sons" were interesting in another way too — there was a passage that went: "Only that Tao Tang possessed this Ji region. Now he has lost his way, thrown its guiding cords into chaos, and thus reached destruction."

It told how the Tao Tang clan originally held vast lands, but because they lost virtue and corrupted the guiding principles, they met destruction. Did the people of the time not often regard the Liu clan's Han dynasty as the descendants of Tang Yao? This matched up perfectly.

The disciples listened with rapt enjoyment. Having a master within the system was truly a fine thing — perhaps the next civil service examination, in the policy essays, would test precisely these matters. Even if they failed to guess the questions, they could still understand the court's ideas and direction, and write essays in the policy exam that suited the King of Wei's intent.

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And there was another lesson that Cheng Gong found hard to forget — one the King of Wei had spoken of openly when he toured Shanglin and summoned the local elders.

"The King said: The people are the root of the state, and farming is the root of the people. Therefore the sages of old all placed great weight on agricultural affairs."

"Suiren drilled wood for fire, to transform the rank and raw, and the people rejoiced in him, making him king over all under Heaven."

"Fuxi knotted nets and taught men to fish, and raised wild beasts as livestock."

"Shennong, needless to say, planted millet and grain, made pottery and forged axes, fashioned farming tools to clear the wild grasses, and thus obtained the five grains to store."

"Therefore, he who can fill all under Heaven — he alone is the Human Sovereign!"

After these two experiences, Cheng Gong's reverence for the King of Wei grew ever deeper, and he spared no effort in teaching these principles to his disciples.

And by highlighting the story of the Three Sovereigns honoring agriculture above all, Diwu Lun had, in one stroke, elevated the agricultural officials to an extremely high station — which also connected to the new post Cheng Gong had received.

"Now Guanzhong suffers famine, and everyone pins their hopes on the wheat ripening in the fifth month. I have therefore received an edict to return to Right Fufeng, to supervise the summer harvest."

"As expected, it is no different from what the local officials reported — the summer wheat in Right Fufeng will yield almost nothing at all."

In Chang'an, at Weiyang Palace, at the end of the fourth month, Diwu Lun frowned as he read the memorial Cheng Gong had sent back.

The direct cause was known to all: in the twelfth month of last year, the Zhouyuan, which produced the most grain in Right Fufeng, had for a time become a battlefield. Tens of thousands of men and horses trampled and slaughtered one another across the fields, destroying the wheat shoots utterly. The farmers on those lands were still waiting with anxious eyes for Diwu Lun to relieve them.

But even without that battle, last year Right Fufeng, caught in the struggle between the forces of Wei and Long, could not farm in peace anyway. They could only rush to plant millet in the spring, hoping to mend the fold after the sheep were lost.

"Have the spies in Longyou sent back any intelligence reports?"

The Director of Rectitude, Huang Chang, reported: "Since the Long army retreated in defeat, Wei Ao has taken over full authority. This man is not skilled in battle, but he does have some ability in governing commanderies. He sent the Long soldiers back to their villages to farm, and safeguarded the spring plowing."

"But Longyou's land is barren and lacks canals and ditches; they can only count on the rain. The great drought has lasted over a month. I hear that Liu Zijun, old and frail, has still rushed to Chengji in Longxi to pray for rain..."

The moment Liu Xin was mentioned, Diwu Lun felt the old man was both laughable and pitiable.

"This is hardly the first time Liu Zijun has done something like this."

Diwu Lun had once heard Yang Xiong mention that during Wang Mang's regency, there was a year when not a single drop of rain fell for several months in a row. The realm suffered a great drought, and the crops yielded not a grain. Just when Wang Mang was at his wits' end, Liu Xin requested to perform a fangshu ritual, making an "earthen dragon" to pray for rain.

And so old Liu Xin, with great solemnity, piled up the rain-praying prop "earthen dragon" at the ritual site — it was ten zhang long — and invited a troupe of bell and drum musicians to blow and beat. He himself drew the eight trigrams, let his hair loose, and performed the magic.

"When Huan Tan learned of this, he thought it absurd and went to question him."

"Liu Xin answered: The dragon can raise clouds and make rain. Now, since a true dragon has not appeared, I fashion an earthen dragon to resemble its kind, and pray for wind and rain."

"Huan Tan then said: Real hawksbill shell and lodestone, when rubbed, can draw needles and pick up mustard seeds. If they were fake hawksbill and lodestone, could they still draw needles and pick up mustard seeds? By the same principle, even if a true dragon could raise clouds and make rain, how could a false dragon raise wind and make rain?"

"Huan Tan's analogy was simple and easy to grasp. Liu Xin had no way to answer, and had to wrap things up hastily."

"Now Liu Xin hasn't learned his lesson and is praying for rain again. Could it be that he has made the Wei clan build him another earthen dragon?"

It was Du Du, the widely learned Palace Gentleman beside him, who reported: "Great King, Director Huang said that Liu Xin is praying for rain in Chengji, in Longxi. And Chengji is said to be the homeland of Fuxi. Fuxi had the dragon as his auspicious sign, used the dragon to name his offices, and was titled the Dragon Master."

"Liu Xin probably thinks that Chengji has a true dragon, and praying for rain there might be more efficacious!"

So that was it! Diwu Lun suddenly saw the light. He had once again suffered the disadvantage of lacking book-learning.

As the number of educated men at court increased, Diwu Lun assembled a team of court literati whose sole task was to search the classics and histories for precedents — formal official edicts and decrees could not do without such ornate compositions.

As for decrees meant to reach the grassroots, Diwu Lun still wrote those himself, since that made them plainer and easier to understand.

The awkwardness was broken by the Chief Provisioner arriving to deliver the meal. Diwu Lun laughed heartily: "In any case, Liu Zijun could not summon real rain. The situation in Longyou is no better than Guanzhong — Wei Cui has already died of illness, and Wei Ao is probably too preoccupied to look elsewhere. By the way, would you two ministers care to join me?"

Huang Chang and Du Du could only brace themselves and accept. Dining with the King was originally a mark of favor and honor, but Du Du, long accustomed to brocade robes and fine food, turned utterly green in the face.

What was brought up was still the same green steamed alfalfa. Diwu Lun was a man of his word and had indeed persisted in eating alfalfa for an entire month. But the stuff did little to stave off hunger, so in the evenings Diwu Lun would also eat some pastries sent by the Queen — he could hardly force himself to hold out until he fainted or dropped dead before his desk, becoming the first monarch in history to die suddenly from overwork.

Just now, the matter of Liu Xin had led the conversation to another man, and Diwu Lun found himself missing that old friend for a moment. Although Huan Tan always spoke with a sardonic edge, Diwu Lun rather admired his plain, materialist turn of mind.

Diwu Lun set down his chopsticks, and worry rose from within: "I still have alfalfa to eat, but who knows what Huan Tan is eating? He returned to Pei last year for his mother's funeral, and there has been no word from him since. Has the Office of the Director of Rectitude had any recent news from north of the Huai?"

Huang Chang swallowed a lump of alfalfa rice: "Pei and the region north of the Huai have been occupied by the Red Eyebrows for half a year now. I hear that the local powerful families and famous scholars there have all been slaughtered by the Red Eyebrows, and the grain has been completely consumed… It would be best if Grand Master Huan fled elsewhere, otherwise…"

No agents had been sent over there; information could only be gathered indirectly from Greenwood Han territory, so naturally one would not hear anything good about the Red Eyebrows.

Diwu Lun felt only regret. If Huan Tan were in Chang'an, he would certainly have to secure him a place at the Imperial Academy, letting him properly pursue music and delve into materialist thought. Huan Tan's thinking was even more radical than Yang Xiong's; with a little guidance, it could have become an important component of the "Five Learnings." What a pity.

Diwu Lun merely gave the order: "We must still pay close attention to the situation in Yu Province and Nanyang. The famine is most severe there. The Red Eyebrows will either submit to Greenwood, or there will inevitably be a battle!"

Having said this, he watched the sour expressions that spread across Huang Chang's and Du Du's faces after eating the alfalfa, and only laughed:

"Hold out a few more days. Once we enter the fifth month and the ten thousand qing of wheat north of the Wei ripen, I, you ministers, and the people of Guanzhong will no longer have to make alfalfa our staple!"

For the winter-wheat harvest season in the fifth month, Diwu Lun had made considerable preparations — for instance, having Du Shi build a watermill in advance in every county north of the Wei. Wheat-grain rice was not much better than alfalfa; he, Diwu Lun, could also take up the unfinished work of the Three Sovereigns and change the dietary structure of the northerners…

Just as he was thinking this, Zhang Yu, the Embroidered Uniform Commandant, hurriedly entered the Greenhouse Hall. After saluting, he came straight to Diwu Lun's side and whispered in his ear:

"Your Majesty, the watermill on the White Canal in Chiyang County north of the Wei has been smashed by the local ruffians!"