Chapter 47: Brothers in Name

The so-called "hundred-plus men" was actually a misjudgment by Guo Hong, caused by the fading light at dusk.

Most of that hundred-odd were Diwu clan members whom Jing Dan had rounded up from the coal-briquette market rows north of the city, dressed in similar-colored clothes and stood at the back just to swell the numbers.

The real Outer Gentlemen among them numbered no more than thirty or forty.

What was noteworthy was that most of these Palace Gentlemen were short in stature, their looks and accents typical of southerners — either from the southern parts of Jing and Yang provinces or from Jiao province.

In the Xin Dynasty, just as in the Former Han, Filial and Incorrupt nominees were not allocated by population; each commandery received the same quota. This meant that even tiny southern commanderies on the fringes, with small populations, could send two men to court every year — and this year the number had been increased to four.

Some men from Guanzhong and Guandong, buckling under fierce competition, would even adopt false names and migrate south, so they could make a name and win merit there and ride the southern quotas — the earliest form of exam-region migration.

Though the north was already saturated with people, the south was still barely developed, its class divisions not yet pronounced — as the saying goes, "South of the Yangtze and Huai, there are none who freeze or starve, but neither are there households of a thousand gold." In places like Jiaozhi and Changsha, those selected to enter the capital as Gentlemen were not all from powerful clans and right-hand families; some were from humble gates — "children of poor families."

Even poorer than Diwu Lun!

Coming from poor commanderies, and at great distance, their families could hardly send money and grain in time to support them, so once these men reached Chang'an they had to fend for themselves. Add to that the southerners' inability to adjust to the northern climate — they had suffered bitterly through this winter — and on top of that the Xin Dynasty's institutional docking of salaries, and the worst-off Outer Gentlemen could no longer even afford a fire.

It was then that Filial-and-Righteous Diwu the Fifth stretched out a helping hand. A few days earlier, on the pretext of opening his own coal market shop, Diwu Lun had given each of these southern Filial-and-Incorrupt Outer Gentlemen a hundred jin of charcoal — a gesture of striking generosity that truly solved many a pressing need.

And this small kindness, which Diwu Lun had sown for a rainy day, proved useful today, entirely unforeseen.

Jing Dan looked at the southern Outer Gentlemen to either side and thought to himself, "Were it not for the debt of Boyu's gift of charcoal, these several dozen men would probably have been unwilling to come at all."

As for the remaining seven or eight northern Palace Gentlemen, most came from great and powerful families, but they had been invited by another friend Diwu Lun had made: that Julu man Geng Chun, the one who had eaten a double-yolked egg as a child.

At this very moment, the Outer Gentlemen were dressed in full order, all wearing official robes, official seals and ribbons at their waists, swords at their sides, and the small military caps on their heads. When they appeared in neat ranks outside the gates of the Master of Fates' mansion, the sight was rather awe-inspiring.

With so many gathered, a good number of them holding official rank, the clerks and guards could not brazenly drive them off the way they would commoners crying for justice. Before long, the great gates of the Master of Fates' mansion swung open, and the Right Master of Fates, Kong Ren, strode out with a stern face and launched into a scolding of the Palace Gentlemen.

"Instead of properly studying the statutes, ordinances, laws, and procedures in the Gentlemen's quarters, what are you doing running over to the mansion of the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties?"

Jing Dan bowed to Kong Ren with clasped hands and said, "Master of Fates Kong, our colleague Diwu Lun is constantly praised in the Gentlemen's quarters for his filial piety, righteousness, integrity, and fairness. Now he has been imprisoned under the law, and we do not know what crime he has committed. We have come expressly to seek instruction from the Master of Fates."

Kong Ren said sternly, "Diwu Lun is implicated in Ma Yuan's case of releasing prisoners and is suspected of being the principal plotter. This office will naturally try the matter according to the law. What business is it of yours? Withdraw at once!"

Geng Chun, bolder of speech, laughed heartily and said, "We too know the course of events. Diwu Lun was an innocent bystander, yet now he has become the chief culprit. There may well be an injustice here!"

Encouraged by this, Jing Dan stiffened his resolve and said, "Master of Fates Kong, so long as this matter remains unresolved, we shall come every day. And if the Master of Fates' mansion has already decided the case, then we shall lodge a plea for review on Boyu's behalf! Let the Four Advisors and the Three Dukes adjudicate this affair!"

The plea for review was a system inherited from the Qin and Han: if a party refused to accept a judgment, they could request a retrial within a statutory period — the time limit was three months. But after the Xin Dynasty was founded, harsh laws were imposed on those below while the laws above were laxly enforced; even ordinary criminal cases were handled sloppily, and the plea for review had fallen into complete disuse.

Jing Dan was hinting to Kong Ren: don't think you can arbitrarily decide this case — Diwu Lun has many friends, and they are all watching!

This was precisely Diwu Lun's plan: the matter had to be blown up, so that the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties would feel misgivings and find it awkward to directly hand Diwu Lun a wrongful verdict. Then it would be made known throughout the city, even spreading to Liewei Commandery, letting the reputation he had built up earlier slowly ferment.

The follow-up plan was to have the various Di clans of Linqu village step forward and, following the example of the two or three thousand commoners from Henan who had come to the capital to petition during the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han to free the arrested Wei Xiang, bring the pressure of court and public opinion to bear and force the Master of Fates' mansion to release him.

Kong Ren, however, saw that only Geng Chun and Jing Dan were speaking; the rest were either silent or kept their heads down, not daring to look at him. He immediately guessed that they were not of one mind, merely a spur-of-the-moment gathering, and sneered, "Some of you come from families of two-thousand-bushel rank and need not worry about your career prospects. But as for the rest — do you really not care about your own official futures, recklessly coming to stir up trouble at the mansion of the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties?"

These words proved extremely effective. The Outer Gentlemen from the south had only come along to see what was happening because they felt awkward refusing Diwu Lun's small kindness. Seeing that Jing and Geng truly meant to play for keeps with the Master of Fates, they could not help but think of backing out.

Even Jing Dan felt the pressure keenly. Unlike Diwu Lun, he still rather cherished this post as a Palace Gentleman. Having run around all day, he had already done all that duty and friendship required — did he really need to keep resisting the Master of Fates' mansion? Yet he could not resign himself to giving up just like that, and for a moment he was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

Just as the Gentlemen's morale was wavering and they might be persuaded to disperse by Kong Ren's very next sentence, another cluster of figures appeared in the distance — and donkey silhouettes too.

It was the Imperial Academy students from south of the city!

And riding at the very front on a donkey, holding a yellow banner high, was none other than Diba Jiao.

"Brother Sunqing, I have brought the disciples of the Imperial Academy to plead for Boyu's life!"

In Diwu Lun's self-rescue plan, Diba Jiao really had no part — or if he did, it was very far down the list, someone to count on only when public opinion was already fermenting.

But no one had expected that Diba Jiao, purely on the strength of his own drive and stubbornness, would actually pull together several dozen Imperial Academy students and come. This made Jing Dan both glad and worried.

Glad, because Diwu Lun's plan to blow the matter up could be realized ahead of schedule; worried, because the numbers were too small to make any difference.

"Imperial Academy students again?"

Seeing the several dozen Imperial Academy students arrive one after another on donkeys and in carts, Kong Ren was instinctively reminded of the affair involving his uncle, the Former Han Chancellor Kong Guang.

Wang Xian and over a thousand others had prostrated themselves at the palace gate to save Bao Xuan. Bao Xuan did have his sentence reduced to exile and was spared public execution. But it left Kong Guang utterly humiliated; he even submitted a memorial asking to resign the chancellorship. As the fourteenth-generation descendant of Confucius, to be pushed to such a point by Imperial Academy students who studied his own sage ancestor's books — it was truly mortifying.

But that affair had a sequel. When Wang Mang became regent, Bao Xuan, still loyal to the House of Han in his heart and unwilling to cooperate with Wang Mang, was soon convicted of a crime and executed.

Kong Guang, by contrast, had been one of the most active schemers behind Wang Mang's return to power. Against Bao Xuan he struck with a heavy fist; before Wang Mang he was meek and obsequious — truly worthy of the Kong clan ancestors.

For this, Kong Guang enjoyed posthumous honors of the highest order: Wang Mang personally led the hundred officials and nobles in the funeral cortege and mourning, with over ten thousand carriages, burying him with the rites of a feudal lord, raising a tomb mound according to the protocol for Grand General Wang Feng, and bestowing the posthumous name Marquis Jianlie — a rare double posthumous title indeed!

And as for the Imperial Academy students who had cried out for justice for Bao Xuan back then? They had long since scattered to the four winds. The new crop of Imperial Academy students had even been assigned by Wang Mang — four hundred of them — to pull the funeral carts and carry the coffin for Kong Guang, and not a hint of discontent was seen among them.

So Kong Ren had always believed that one ought to be harsh with these Imperial Academy students who knew nothing but the classics, and never be as weak as Emperor Ai of Han.

And so he hardened his face and threatened fiercely:

"The private prison of the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties still has plenty of empty cells!"

"Do you lot intend to start a revolt?!"

On any ordinary day, the greater part of the Imperial Academy students would have backed down. But today was different.

Liu Long was the first to shout, "Mencius said: 'Neither might nor power can make him bend!'"

Diba Jiao likewise thumped his yellow banner against the ground, his voice trembling slightly: "Indeed! We come to face danger for the sake of rescuing a man of benevolence and resolve. If the Right Master of Fates wishes to arrest and imprison us, he is merely emulating the cruel officials of the tyrannical Qin!"

The Imperial Academy students were not many — a few dozen at most — but because they were younger, with hot blood in their chests, they were instead unafraid of the Master of Fates' threats. And being men of letters, they piled one weighty accusation after another onto Kong Ren's head.

What was more, today they had something to rely on.

Kong Ren was just about to lose his temper and have the clerks and guards give the Imperial Academy students a good beating and drive them off, when Liu Xiu, who had been following at the back of the procession, came forward. With him was a household steward bearing a letter.

"Right Master of Fates, hold a moment!"

Kong Ren looked — it was actually the household steward of Wang Zong, the Duke of Chonggong.

The wife of the imperial grandson Wang Zong was the younger sister of Kong Ren's own wife; the two were thus connected as husbands of sisters. Kong Ren was ordinarily on close terms with the Duke of Chonggong's mansion and knew the steward well. Seeing him actually mingled in among the Imperial Academy students, he could not help but be dumbfounded.

"The Imperial Academy students suddenly came to Shangguan Ward to request an audience with the Duke of Chonggong, and among them were quite a few men from the Vanguard commandery. The Duke of Chonggong grew up in the Vanguard and received them as fellow townsmen. After hearing the statements of their leaders, he bade this old servant make a trip and deliver this letter to the Right Master of Fates."

Kong Ren took Wang Zong's letter and read it. Though it was only a few brief lines, it left him utterly baffled.

The Duke of Chonggong said that he did not wish to see a man of benevolence and righteousness like Diwu Lun — one whose fame filled the entire city and who could make Imperial Academy students spontaneously rally and run about on his behalf — come to a bad end.

"Does the Duke of Chonggong also want to buy the people's hearts, so as to contend with the Crown Prince?"

The hint was already explicit. Kong Ren's mind churned through a hundred twists and turns. As a husband of his sister, he ought to oblige the Duke of Chonggong's wish. Yet as Master of Fates, to bow his head when Palace Gentlemen and Imperial Academy students were at his very gates — would that not be a replay of the Bao Xuan and Wang Xian affair from the former dynasty? It would be far too humiliating. A way out — he needed to find a way out.

While he hesitated, someone else came galloping up from behind — a high minister in crimson official robes, wearing a military cap with a grand crown, a silver seal and blue sash hanging from his belt: the mark of a two-thousand-dan grand official!

He parted the crowd, glanced in surprise at the Palace Gentlemen and Imperial Academy students gathered here, walked up to Kong Ren, and merely cupped his hands: "I am Ma Yuan's elder brother, Colonel of the Central Ramparts, Ma Yu!"

…

Colonel of the Central Ramparts was one of the eight colonels of the Northern Army, the central force guarding the capital — rank two thousand dan, responsible for garrisoning Chang'an and also for punitive expeditions.

The current Colonel of the Central Ramparts, Ma Yu, was the third of the four Ma brothers of Maoling. He had always been cautious and solemn, utterly unlike the free-spirited Ma Yuan.

His appearance likewise caught Jing Dan by surprise. What had brought Ma Yu here?

"As the brother of a criminal official, I should have removed my cap, surrendered my seal, and confined myself at home in self-reflection. But I was shocked to hear that innocent people have been implicated and imprisoned because of my unworthy younger brother — that is why I have hurried here."

Ma Yu knew that everyone had come to plead Diwu Lun's innocence, so he bowed to the Palace Gentlemen and Imperial Academy students in apology: "No one knows a brother better than his elder brother. This whole affair arose because of my younger brother Ma Yuan. It has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else!"

Then he looked at Kong Ren and said something that stunned them all.

"I request that the Right Master of Fates designate Ma Yuan as the principal offender!"

Kong Ren was dumbfounded. Was there such a bizarre thing in this world? The Master of Fates of the Five Majesties, following standard practice, had kindly helped Ma Yuan — who had the backing of a two-thousand-dan great house — reduce his culpability, while making Diwu Lun, whose backing was not strong enough, the ringleader and scapegoat. Instead of thanking him, Ma Yu was demanding that the authorities prosecute Ma Yuan to the fullest.

Was Ma Yuan the foundling, and Diwu Lun his real brother?

Kong Ren was not clear on the relations among the Ma brothers. Ma Yuan, the Commandant of Zengshan, as the second brother, had been utterly indulgent toward Ma Yuan. Ma Yu, as the third brother, had always been strict with Ma Yuan and knew his nature well: he skipped the Imperial Academy, refused to be a Palace Gentleman, treated a bright future as a joke, and at twelve was already clamoring to go farm and herd on the frontier, free and unfettered by worldly constraints.

Later, after observing a year of mourning for their eldest brother Ma Kuang, Ma Yuan seemed to have steadied a little, and obediently took a concubine and had children. Yet he still refused to follow his brothers' path and become a high official of the Xin Dynasty, content to be a minor postal inspector with no prospects, toiling day in and day out, feet in the mud, and perfectly happy with it.

As for releasing prisoners and going into hiding, Ma Yu was not the least bit surprised — that was exactly the fourth brother's style.

So Ma Yu did not appreciate the Master of Fates Office's "kindness" at all. Now, with the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties being blockaded by wave after wave of Palace Gentlemen and Imperial Academy students, the affair had become the talk of the city. He could not let it ruin the Ma clan's reputation and prestige.

In that case, let Ma Yuan bear all the blame — in any event, even if Ma Yuan were sentenced to public execution, Ma Yu firmly believed…

"With Wenyuan's abilities, how could he be captured by mere clerks and runners? He has long since soared like a bird into the clear sky, dancing freely away."

Though Ma Yu's mouth scolded his brother, his heart was in fact relieved. Hadn't Ma Yuan been yearning for the frontier? Then let him go into exile as a fugitive, suffer some real hardship, and get his wish!

It was not only Kong Ren who was baffled by this display of "brotherly love" — the Imperial Academy students were too.

They looked at one another: "Didn't Diba Jiao say that Diwu Lun persuaded Ma Yuan to release Wan Xiu? Why, in the Colonel of the Central Ramparts' account, has Ma Yuan become the ringleader and Diwu Lun uninvolved? Which is true, and which is false?"

It was Deng Yu, well-versed in the three hundred poems, who shook his head and said: "Gentlemen, have you not heard 'The Two Sons Took a Boat'?"

Two sons took a boat, drifting, drifting away. I think of them, longing — may no harm come to them. This poem from the Odes of Wei tells the story of Duke Xuan of Wei's two young lords vying to die for each other — any scholar understood it at once.

Diba Jiao suddenly saw the light: "So that is it! Ma Yuan did this deliberately, so that his brother could declare him the principal offender and rescue Boyu!"

He felt like weeping. What heroic sentiment, what righteous honor.

Liu Long, already ruddy-faced, was so stirred that his face reddened further, like a jujube: "Of old, there were Prince Ji and Prince Shou of Wei who vied to die. Today, we have Diwu Boyu and Ma Wenyuan vying to be the principal offender. How splendid — these two gentlemen have the spirit of the Spring and Autumn Annals!"

Even Liu Xiu, hiding at the back of the procession, could not help nodding when he heard this.

He had taken great pains today to guide the Imperial Academy students to the Duke of Chonggong's mansion, steering them away from prostrating at the palace gates and causing a major incident — he had done his part.

When it came to other people's affairs, Liu Xiu was still cautious. He kept to the rear with his donkey, letting Liu Long and Diba Jiao take the spotlight.

Liu Xiu thought to himself: "Coming to resolve Diwu Lun's predicament this time was truly the right thing to do! He is indeed a man of benevolence, virtue, filial piety, and fraternal duty, with a touch of chivalrous spirit."

"If one day I introduce Bosheng to him, perhaps Diwu Lun could also assist my brother in the great cause of restoring the Han!"

…

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