Chapter 4: Diwu Lun Yields the Pears

The reason Liu Gong suspected Diwu Lun was that, in this era, filial piety and fraternal duty were indeed profitable virtues.

The Former Han ruled the realm by filial piety, prefixing every emperor's posthumous title with the character "xiao" (filial). Fraternal duty was derived from filial piety; as the Classic of Filial Piety states, "To teach the people propriety and deference, nothing surpasses fraternal duty," advocating mutual affection among brothers and proper order between elder and younger.

After the Xin Dynasty replaced the Han, having seized the throne from the position of a subject — even with the myth of the Red Emperor's abdication as packaging — Wang Mang could hardly overemphasize loyalty without slapping his own face, so he continued to exalt filial piety and fraternal duty.

Hearing Liu Gong's question, Huan Tan merely spat out a fish bone and began speaking of an unrelated matter.

"Back when His Majesty was still obscure, he served his mother and widowed sister-in-law, raised his elder brother's orphaned son, and attended to his various uncles with great thoroughness. At the sickbed of his uncle, the Marquis of Yangping Jingcheng (Wang Feng), he personally tasted the medicine, let his hair grow disheveled and his face go unwashed, and did not loosen his sash for months on end, winning the praise of the world."

Wang Mang himself was the classic example of someone who rose to power by building a reputation on filial piety and fraternal duty. Huan Tan's words carried a hidden meaning: "At that time, were there men like you, Erudite, who suspected His Majesty's motives were impure, that his display of filial piety and fraternal duty was merely to gain fame and profit?"

"This… what does this have to do with today's matter? His Majesty is a sage who appears only once every five hundred years after Confucius. Diwu Lun is but a village boy — how can the two be mentioned in the same breath?"

Liu Gong regretted running his mouth and provoking Huan Tan. He turned to ask County Magistrate Xianyu Bao: "The Diwu and Diba families are relatives — is it possible they colluded, letting Diwu Lun yield the slot to gain prestige while Diba Jiao gets to enter the Imperial Academy?"

"Absolutely impossible."

Xianyu Bao declared with certainty: "The Diwu and Diba clans are not as friendly and amicable as Diwu Lun claims; on the contrary, they have considerable grudges. This humble official has personally witnessed the two family heads meet on a bridge, neither willing to yield, stalemated for a full hour. The two families have long ceased visiting each other, let alone colluding."

"Oh?" Liu Gong was surprised. The matter now grew complicated — was Diwu Lun repaying enmity with virtue?

Xianyu Bao said, "I venture to inform the two grandees that, in fact, Diwu Lun has long been known in the village for his friendliness and fraternal duty, especially so since he recovered from a serious illness a month ago."

He then recounted an anecdote about Diwu Lun.

"In Diwu Hamlet, Linqu Township, there is a large pear orchard. Every year when the pears ripened, the clan members would be invited to share them."

Of course, they would also send the finest pears, with money and silk tucked underneath, to the local officials for them to taste. This story was one Xianyu Bao had heard from the servant Diwu Fu, who delivered the pears.

"When eating pears, Diwu Lun always took the small ones on his own initiative. The small pears were clearly more sour. Someone asked him why he did this, and Diwu Lun replied: 'After studying the Classic of Filial Piety, I have understood the Way of filial piety and fraternal duty. I am young in the family, so I should let my elder uncles and cousins take first, and I take the small ones.'"

This story was very simple, yet it left a deep impression. Spread by those with intent, it had circulated throughout the county in just over ten days.

Liu Gong dispelled his suspicions of Diwu Lun: "It seems Diwu Lun is truly good-natured, humble, and respectful by nature. The matter of yielding his academy slot is certainly no isolated case — I was speculating groundlessly."

Huan Tan, however, after a swig of wine, spoke up: "Although I have only exchanged a few words with this lad, in my view, his reason for yielding the slot may not be entirely due to filial piety and fraternal duty…"

"Then what is the reason?"

"I fear he is just like me — simply too lazy to expend the mental effort studying those tedious textual glosses and exegeses." Huan Tan burst out laughing.

Liu Gong did not take his words seriously, only musing to himself: "Diwu Lun yielding the pears — that is an interesting story. I might as well record this matter and present it to my uncle when I return to Chang'an; perhaps he will include it in his Miscellaneous Records."

Meanwhile, County Magistrate Xianyu Bao was secretly sweating for Diwu Lun.

The reason he spoke up for the Diwu clan was, first, because Xianyu Bao's father and Diwu Ba had once been colleagues and were on rather good terms. And for the matter of Diwu Lun entering the Imperial Academy, the old man had also slipped him quite a few benefits.

After the banquet ended, Xianyu Bao's mind began to churn.

"Now that Diwu Lun has yielded the slot, by rights, the money and silk the Diwu clan gave me ought to be returned."

But he had already accepted those goods and money — there was no principle of giving them back. What was to be done?

A flash of inspiration struck Xianyu Bao: he decided to report the matter of Diwu Lun yielding the pears and yielding the academy slot to the commandery authorities.

For one, the emergence of such a paragon of filial piety and fraternal duty under his jurisdiction was, of course, a political achievement reflecting the County Magistrate's effective moral edification.

For another, it would also give the Diwu clan an explanation, sparing him the need to return their bribe.

"As it happens, there is a position that can be decided at the county level, perfectly suited for a man of filial piety and fraternal duty like Diwu Lun!"

…

The central courtyard hall was the largest structure within the Diwu clan's fortified compound. Thick pillars held up the roof; the hall had windows on all four sides, making it bright during the day. After nightfall, two rows of bronze lamp stands placed opposite each other along the walls were lit in succession.

Yet Diwu Lun, accustomed to the bright electric lights of later ages, still found the room too dim.

In the center of the spacious hall stood two rows of low lacquered tables, with sitting mats behind them. This was where the Diwu clan convened the family stewards for important matters, and also where they received guests. The head of the Diba clan, who had come calling at night, knelt with his youngest son on the guest seats to the west.

On the host's seat to the east sat Diwu Ba, his face full of arrogance. Behind him stood a wooden rack holding a long sword — the very one Diwu Ba brandished every morning.

The sword rested in its scabbard, its sharp edge concealed, much like Diwu Lun, who wore a restrained smile as he received the guests.

Seeing his old rival at the door, Diwu Ba spoke without a trace of civility: "The meat in my cauldron has just finished cooking. Diba Zhi, have you come to scrounge a meal?"

Unlike Diwu Ba, an old soldier who had taken the path of a military clerk, Diba Zhi had audited classes at the Imperial Academy in his youth and always spoke with a scholar's reserve. He had not come today to pick a fight; he merely lowered his head and eyes and said, "Come to think of it, I truly have not tasted the Diwu clan's cooking in decades."

The two had been friendly in their youth, both serving as clerks in the township — one as Precinct Chief, the other as a civil scribe. Later they fell out. As for the reason… ah, what else but a woman.

Diwu Ba narrowed his eyes: "You old codger haven't changed. Speak plainly — don't beat around the bush."

Diba Zhi smiled and stated his purpose: "I have come today precisely because of Boyu yielding the Imperial Academy slot to my worthless son. As the poem says, 'You throw a peach, I repay with a plum.' We ought to come and give thanks."

"Hahaha." Diwu Ba grew somewhat smug and said, "Our family's Lun'er is naturally intelligent. In the official school, he casually took the top grade in the first rank on the exams. He is also young, with plenty of opportunities. Considering that your lad is nearly twenty, has failed the exams repeatedly, and will be too old if he doesn't go now — after all, we are of the same lineage, brothers — his heart softened, and he yielded it to him!"

"I don't need him to yield it!"

Diba Jiao, his face full of scholarly pride, considered it a deep humiliation. He had grown a sparse mustache to try to look like an adult, but his temperament could not be restrained. Stung by Diwu Ba's words, his face flushed red and he rose to protest, but his father pulled him back.

"Speak, then." Diba Zhi smiled. "What does the Diwu clan want?"

"Is it that fine plot of land south of the canal?"

"Or the small residence in the county town?"

"Or perhaps, you want me to recommend you to the county as Township Elder?"

He merely assumed the Diwu clan wanted to use this slot to strike a deal with his family.

Diba Jiao grew anxious: "Father, I can just go to the Imperial Academy next year. Why must we…"

"Shut your mouth!"

Diba Zhi silenced him, somewhat disappointed in his son. The boy still did not grasp the current situation. Look at Diwu Lun over there, keeping a faint smile and saying nothing — how well he held his composure, and he was three years younger than you, to boot.

Was who went to the Imperial Academy decided by mastery of the classics and scholarship? It was nothing but a power struggle between the two families behind the scenes. They had to wait until the several larger classical-study families in the county had no more school-age children enrolled before it was their turn. Yet the Diwu clan, having clearly gained the upper hand by adding more money, suddenly yielded the slot — this caught everyone off guard.

Diwu Lun had seized the initiative; in just one afternoon, the story of him yielding the slot had already spread throughout Changling County.

Whether the Diba clan was willing or not, this favor was already owed.

In these times, what was most important for a family of the right-side lane? Not land, not slaves. Ever since the Xin Dynasty issued the Wangtian Sishu decree forbidding land annexation and the slave trade, those two were practically locked down and could hardly increase rapidly. The only thing that could be accumulated was reputation!

If this matter was handled improperly, it would be repaying kindness with enmity, and their standing in the county would suffer greatly. That would cost far more than painfully parting with a hundred mu of land or a few mu of residential land.

Yet Diwu Ba was unmoved, grinning as he watched Diba Zhi, his expression clearly saying: "I want nothing — I just want your family to be indebted to the Diwu clan."

"Diba Clan Elder."

Diwu Lun finally spoke. He lifted the lacquered ewer a serving maid had brought and poured three cups of wine into the exquisite black-and-red lacquered ear-cups — his family were only minor local magnates of limited means, so they lived simply: earthenware for everyday use, lacquerware only when entertaining guests.

Rising, he carried two cups over to Diwu Ba and Diba Jiao, then knelt on the open ground between the east and west guest seats, raised his cup, and said, "I have heard it said that the people of this world are divided into those of different xing, those of the same xing, those of the same zong, and those of the same zu."

"Xing refers to the ancient surnames from before the Spring and Autumn period — Ji, Jiang, Mi, and the like — which mark the earliest origins. Between different xing, it is like different trees within a single grove. As people multiplied and migrated, the xing, like a growing tree, began to put forth branches — and these are the shi."

"The Gui xing branched into the Chen, Tian, and other shi. And when Tian Guang of the Qi Tian clan migrated, his line further produced the Diwu, Diba, and other shi. Though the eight families have long since passed beyond the five degrees of mourning, they still acknowledge one another as kinsmen of the same zong."

Diwu Lun said, "The Diwu and the Diba are brothers of the same zong, linked by blood and close neighbors besides. There has never been any dispute between us over land or water. I have also heard that in the past, the Diba lineage head and my great-grandfather were on excellent terms — they fell out only later, over a misunderstanding."

Diwu Lun sighed. "In the county town, I once heard a folk song: 'A foot of cloth can still be stitched, a peck of grain can still be hulled — yet two brothers cannot abide one another.' This time, with the fight over the Imperial Academy place, who knows how many people have been laughing at our two families!"

"That is why I would rather give up my chance at the Imperial Academy than see our two families break apart. All I hope is that the Diba and the Diwu can use this matter — and this cup of wine — to wash away old grudges with a smile!"

With that, he raised his cup and drained it in one draught!

Diwu Lun's words were so mature they far exceeded his years. Not only Diba Jiao and his son, but even Diwu Ba was stunned. Only after a long pause did he slowly say, "I am ashamed. We have lived so many years in vain, yet we are not as broad-minded as a mere boy."

So saying, he took the initiative and raised his wine toward Diba Jiao in a toast.

Diba Jiao likewise raised his cup and said, abashed, "Indeed. My honored kinsman has a fine grandson."

The two drank together, then tipped their cups to show the dry bottoms and burst into hearty laughter.

……

After this, the servants came up at just the right moment, presenting meat dishes and rice. Among the people of the Central Plains, the mood at the table always softens and warms — the earlier tension, sharp as drawn swords, had vanished.

Diwu Ba and Diba Jiao seemed to recover their old friendship, passing cups back and forth and drinking themselves tipsy. In the flush of wine, they even rapped their chopsticks against the rims of their bowls and sang the songs of their youth.

The small feast did not end until late at night. Diwu Ba, who had a good head for drink, personally saw Diba Jiao and his son out the gate. The news that the two families had mended their ties today would surely race through the whole of Linqu Township.

Diba Jiao was genuinely drunk. He had spent many years studying the Confucian classics, and Confucian moral principles had soaked into his very blood. Diwu Lun's words today had truly made him see the boy in a new light; his admiration had driven out that last trace of resentment. Belching wine fumes, he said to his father, "F-Father, Diwu Lun really is a man of true filial piety and fraternal duty. I wronged him before."

Diba Jiao, however, was only feigning drunkenness. Inwardly, he thought nothing of the sort. "You book-dull boy — a few years of study, and all you understand is benevolence, righteousness, and morality. You know nothing of the treachery in men's hearts. Diwu Lun calls you 'kinsman' at every turn, toasts you and flatters you, and you forget who you even are!"

Diwu Lun had spoken so impeccably that if they still clung to that trifling grievance, they would be the ones who could not tell right from wrong. Diba Jiao could only smile and play along — and the final result was…

Today's trip had been for nothing. The favor the Diba owed the Diwu remained unpaid! From now on, they would still have to play along with the Diwu in this charade of brotherly harmony!

"Still, this does my family no harm either."

So Diba Jiao reckoned. He glanced at his son, already snoring in the cart, and merely slipped off his own outer robe to gently cover him. He sighed. "That old man Diwu is simply lucky — to have produced a grandson like this is truly a rare stroke of fate. When it comes time for the younger generation to take charge, I fear the Diba will have to live by the Diwu's leave!"

……

"A little more book-learning really does prove useful. That old fox Diba has always been crafty, yet today he could only force a smile and play along. The look on his face as he drank — like swallowing piss. Satisfying."

After watching the guests' carriage disappear into the distance, Diwu Ba turned around. He clicked his tongue in wonder at his grandson, but his puzzlement only grew.

"Lun, my boy — your reason for yielding the place surely goes beyond just settling the grudge between the Diwu and the Diba, doesn't it?"

"Of course."

Diwu Lun usually kept his plans hidden in his chest. Now, half-drunk, he let a little of his private satisfaction show. Smiling, he said, "Grandfather, if in the years to come the realm truly plunges into chaos, can our family — a single clan, a single hamlet — preserve itself amid the turmoil?"

Diwu Ba shook his head. Living as a compact clan, with their fortified compound, they could guard against bandits and small-scale unrest. But if, as Diwu Lun surmised, the realm were to see great upheaval like the chaos at the end of Qin and the Chu-Han struggle, a mere two hundred able-bodied men would be utterly insufficient. One band of marauding soldiers of any size would be enough to wipe the Diwu clan out.

"One fence needs three stakes. So — our family needs helpers."

Diwu Lun stated his goal: "Grandfather, by building a name and establishing authority, I intend to become the acknowledged lineage head and leader of all the clans."

In the night-shrouded Linqu Township, the various hamlets each occupied their own corner, their lamplight twinkling like scattered stars in a black sky.

Diwu Lun reached out and grasped, as if to seize them in his hand and press them into a single mass.

"If I can achieve that, then the moment the realm shifts, I need only raise my arm and call — and ten hamlets, eight clans, three thousand able-bodied men will rally to me like clouds and shadows!"

……

PS: Ten thousand bookmarks in half a day since release — you lot are absolutely ferocious.

Also, thanks to the three Alliance Masters — Beneath the Firmiana, Kamira Nanami Official, and Grenade Fears Water — and to all the other readers who've tipped. The Alliance Master bonus chapters will be made up after the paywall — since the Great Han has already fallen, the chapters the previous dynasty owed won't be repaid in the new one.

Also, during these months of rest, I've been following Grenade Fears Water's Shao Song the whole time. It's remarkably good, and I've picked up quite a few tricks — for instance…

"Don't wait up tonight!"

So I'm changing the update time. Starting today, both chapters will go up around 8 in the morning, so everyone can finish reading before work — don't wait up at night.