Chapter 624: Heresy Is More Hateful

"Petitioning to establish the Eastern Capital at Linzi?"

Li Zhong, Inspector of Qing Province, swept his eyes over this proposal, then turned his gaze to the commercial magnate before him, Dongguo Chang'an.

The Dongguo clan were great merchants of the Qi region. Relying on over ten thousand salt-boiling retainers, they had become the de facto controllers of Linzi at the end of the Xin dynasty. When King Zhang Bu of Qi held Qing Province, this Dongguo Chang'an had accepted the overtures of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and contributed greatly when the Wei army broke through Linzi. After the war, he also managed to escape the Youzhou raiders' great purge of Qi's wealthy houses and continued to serve as a representative of Linzi's elders.

In Li Zhong's view, it was not without reason that Dongguo Chang'an could remain wealthy and secure. He was an exceedingly clever man. Facing a Wei army that might turn its butcher's blade on him at any moment, Dongguo Chang'an had quite generously supplied grain and provided large quantities of winter clothing to the Cavalry General Geng. In dealing with Wei officials, Dongguo Chang'an did not act the local power broker; he even surrendered the fish and salt industries so crucial to his family, astonishing everyone by supporting with both hands the Wei Emperor's re-nationalization of Qi's salt and iron.

Although Dongguo Chang'an still wielded enormous influence in Linzi, he rarely meddled in political affairs and tried his best to avoid conflict with Li Zhong. Yet just as Diwu Lun was about to tour Qing Province, Dongguo Chang'an had, contrary to his usual practice, come with great earnestness to pay a visit to Li Zhong, hoping he could persuade the Emperor to establish the Eastern Capital in the city of Linzi.

"Indeed," Dongguo Chang'an said. "Our dynasty has clearly defined the system of Five Capitals. Now the Western, Central, and Northern Capitals all exist; only the eastern and southern directions are still lacking. In the south, the King of Wu, Liu Xiu, is still stubbornly resisting, so that can be set aside for now. But the Wei realm already extends east to the Eastern Sea, and Qing, Xu, and Yan provinces have all submitted. It is time to decide the location of the Eastern Capital."

Li Zhong solemnly declined. "The establishment of a capital is a matter of great importance. His Majesty and the court ministers will deliberate on it. I fear it requires no concern from you, Master Dongguo."

Dongguo Chang'an hastily bowed. "It should be so, of course. But as a man of Linzi and Qing Province, I cannot help worrying on behalf of this city."

He raised his head. "You, Inspector, are also a man of Qing. You must know how prosperous Linzi once was."

With a tone of deep nostalgia, Dongguo Chang'an traced the past glories of this great city. "I have heard Confucian scholars say: 'Linzi is grand indeed, truly possessing the air of a great state.' At its height, it had a hundred thousand households! It surpassed Chang'an! Chang'an had only one hundred and sixty wards, while Linzi had a full three hundred. Between Zhuang and Yue, carriage hubs struck one another, people's shoulders rubbed together, joined lapels formed curtains, raised sleeves formed tents, and sweat fell like rain."

"Not only was it populous, it was also rich! Its people all played the yu and zither, strummed the qin and struck the zhu, fought cocks and raced hounds, played liubo and kicked cuju. Every household was prosperous, every person content, their spirits high and proud. To be a merchant in such a city, one could earn great wealth! Between Zhuang and Yue, the market tax yielded a thousand gold pieces daily. It was precisely for this reason that Wang Mang established the Office of Price Stabilization in Linzi."

"Linzi was also more than just commerce and wealth. Scholars from all regions flocked here to study. The academy outside the Ji Gate, at its peak, gathered two to three thousand people! It was the Eastern Imperial Academy."

Li Zhong could not help but be moved. As a man of Qing Province, he had often heard people speak of this city's past.

At this point, Dongguo Chang'an's tone turned sorrowful. "Yet Linzi has declined. In population, let alone a hundred thousand households, it does not even have the seventy thousand households of the Warring States period. After the great chaos, there are only forty to fifty thousand households."

"The market wards are desolate. Everywhere, territories are carved up and roads blocked; merchant travel has ceased. Linzi is like a pond cut off from its water source, slowly drying up."

"Finally, the scholars. Even though the Sage Son of Heaven has swept away Zhang Bu, those scholars of Linzi, seeking official posts, all go to Chang'an, Luoyang, or Yecheng, unwilling to remain in their native place."

"May I ask you, Inspector: how has Linzi come to this?"

Faced with Dongguo Chang'an's question, Li Zhong could hardly say it was because the Wei army's Youzhou Corps had ravaged it. They really hadn't massacred Linzi; they had only plundered the surrounding commanderies and counties rather harshly… So he evasively shifted the blame. "It is because of Wang Mang's misrule and Zhang Bu's occupation of Qi — the result of warfare and chaos."

Dongguo Chang'an, however, held a different view. "Not so. The decline of Linzi began a hundred years ago."

He bowed to Li Zhong, revealing the unique insight of this mercantile magnate. "In my humble opinion, Linzi's rise was not only because this land is the rich fat of Earth's virtue and the secret storehouse of the Divine Continent, but also because Linzi was the capital of the Qi state under the Jiang, Tian, and Liu surnames. For a thousand years, people, wealth, and culture all converged here."

As a man well-versed in business, Dongguo Chang'an had keenly perceived the concentrating effect of an administrative center on population and wealth, as well as the cultural radiation that arose once a population base reached a certain threshold.

But Linzi's history as the absolute center of the Qi region had come to an abrupt halt over a hundred years ago.

Dongguo Chang'an said, "In the early Han, because advisors said the Qi region was a land of twelve, none but the Son of Heaven's own brother or beloved son could be enfeoffed as its king, the eldest son, Liu Fei, was made King of Qi, ruling over seventy-two cities."

"But after Liu Fei's death, the Qi kingdom was increasingly divided. First, it was split into three, with Jibei and Chengyang enfeoffed separately. By the time of Emperor Wen of Han, it was further divided into five kingdoms."

From that time on, Linzi was no longer the center of all Qing Province. The various kingdoms — Jiaodong, Jiaoxi, Zichuan, Jibei — each had their own capitals. The population and wealth that would have converged on Linzi were now dispersed. Development slowed, even regressed. As for Wang Mang's Five Equalizations and Six Monopolies, and the Red Eyebrows' disruption of Qing's trade routes, those were merely the final blow.

Dongguo Chang'an was like a duck floating on a river; whether the water was cold or warm, he could always keenly sense it. This Master Dongguo had a premonition:

"If this continues, Linzi will be increasingly marginalized, growing ever more decayed."

As a great merchant of Linzi, once this city lost its competitive edge, his clan would also head toward its doom!

After hearing this, Li Zhong felt that Dongguo Chang'an was being alarmist. "Master Dongguo, you worry too much. Is Linzi not still the seat of the Qing Province Inspector? Do I not still conduct my office here?"

Dongguo Chang'an could only refrain from saying outright that the Inspector, unlike a Commandery Governor, was still a supervisory agency directly dispatched by the central government, constantly traveling throughout the province, and its seat could be moved at any time. But once Linzi became the "Eastern Capital" of Great Wei, it would not be so easily revoked.

But seeing that Li Zhong's attitude remained noncommittal, Dongguo Chang'an steeled himself and brought up another matter.

"Recently, His Majesty sacrificed to Confucius at Qufu and established the Five Co-Venerables. You, Inspector, must already know of this."

This was a grand gesture that had stirred the whole realm. Li Zhong, a reader of the sages' books, naturally knew of it. But what did this have to do with the choice of the Eastern Capital?

Dongguo Chang'an revealed a "secret." "I have clansmen in Qufu. They wrote to say that the Kong clan of Qufu, in league with the Meng clan of Zoucheng, the Zeng clan of Dongwu, and other descendants of the co-venerated worthies, are everywhere petitioning high court officials to assist in submitting memorials, asking His Majesty to designate Qufu as the Eastern Capital!"

"There is such a thing?" Li Zhong was startled, both surprised at Dongguo Chang'an's well-informed sources — that he knew of this even before Li Zhong himself — and astonished that Qufu was contending for the Eastern Capital. He was not a diehard confidant of Diwu Lun and did not know the Emperor's private calculations. He could only instinctively feel that Qufu, relying on its status as the "Holy Land of Confucianism," indeed had a very good chance.

"Absolutely true!" Dongguo Chang'an said with pained urgency. "Inspector Li, if Qufu is truly designated the Eastern Capital, I fear that in Great Wei, Linzi and the Qi region will forever be suppressed by Qufu and the Lu region!"

These words were surprisingly effective on Li Zhong, a man of Qi. One must understand that in later ages, Qi and Lu would belong to the same province, indistinguishable from one another. But during the Han-Xin transition, they were entirely separate matters.

The enmity and entanglements between the two regions could be traced back to the distant Western Zhou. During the great enfeoffment, Jiang Taigong was enfeoffed in Qi. After only five months in his state, he reported on his governance to the Duke of Zhou, who was then regent. The Duke of Zhou asked him why it was so swift. Jiang Taigong said, "I simplified the rites between ruler and minister and followed their customs. Therefore, it was swift."

Meanwhile, Bo Qin, the eldest son of the Duke of Zhou, was enfeoffed in Lu. Only after three years did he return west to report on his governance. The Duke of Zhou asked him why it was so slow. Bo Qin said, "I changed their customs, reformed their rites, and observed the three-year mourning period before abolishing the old ways. Therefore, it was slow."

The Duke of Zhou thus concluded that Lu would in the future face north and serve Qi as a vassal, because if governance is not simple and approachable, the common people will not feel close to it; if governance is approachable and close to the people, the common people will surely submit.

Sure enough, throughout the entire Spring and Autumn period, Lu was basically pinned down and hammered by Qi, always at a disadvantage. Its rulers were cuckolded by Qi and dared not utter a word, barely managing to survive extinction.

The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods ended, but the feud between the Qi and Lu regions was inherited in the realm of scholarship. The two greatest schools of Han Confucianism were one called "Qi Learning," represented by the Gongyang School and Qi Odes, and the other called "Lu Learning," represented by the Guliang School and Lu Odes.

The styles of the two schools also resembled the temperaments of the ancient states of Qi and Lu. One was adept at absorbing, which is why Dong Zhongshu of Qi incorporated yin-yang and the five phases, developed the theory of heaven-human resonance, and even greatly promoted prophetic chenwei texts. Lu Learning, by contrast, was more staid and conservative. Qi Learning was vast and wondrous; Lu Learning was plain and solid. Qi Learning tended toward the bizarre and fantastical; Lu Learning tended toward textual exegesis. Each had its strengths and weaknesses.

The two schools waxed and waned from the time of Emperor Wu of Han onward. Because Emperor Wu disliked the rigidity of Lu Learning, Dong Zhongshu and Gongsun Hong led Qi Learning to great prominence, seizing the position of official doctrine in one stroke and suppressing Lu Learning relentlessly. But by the time of Emperor Xuan of Han, the situation reversed. Emperor Xuan favored Lu Learning. At the Shiqu Pavilion Conference, from the judges to the evaluators, all were men of Lu Learning. Thus the Guliang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals was established as official learning. Qi Learning declined and was brutally struck back by Lu Learning… Fortune's wheel turned again. By Wang Mang's time, Qi Learning, relying on its mastery of yin-yang and chenwei prophecies, once more dealt a harsh blow to Lu Learning, forcing many great Confucians of Lu to begin studying the illustrated prophecies as well.

Heresy is often more hateful than heterodoxy. Academic struggle was as cruel as political and military struggle. After over a hundred years of such strife, the enmity between Qi and Lu remained unresolved.

Li Zhong had studied the Qi Odes and the Gongyang Commentary — he was a solid successor of Qi Learning. He had little interest in fighting for Linzi as the Eastern Capital from a commercial or economic standpoint. But the moment he heard that the Lu Learning heretics of Qufu were also getting involved, Li Zhong was suddenly wide awake!

Smack! Li Zhong slapped the table, quite decisively.

"This Eastern Capital — Qing Province will contend for it."

…

Diwu Lun had just managed to fob off Qufu's forceful petition, unaware that Linzi was already rubbing its fists and preparing to join the contest.

The Wei Emperor could not be bothered right now to deal with the thousand-year-old feud between Qi and Lu. He was more concerned with someone else's capital problem.

In the middle of the fourth month of the fourth year of Wude (AD 28), Diwu Lun's imperial carriage had already emerged from the hills of Mount Tai and entered the territory of Qing Province, but it came to a halt. This was because Zhang Yu, the Embroidered Uniform Commandant, had hurried over from the south to report an important matter to Diwu Lun.

"Liu Xiu has already launched a counteroffensive north of the Huai?" The reason Diwu Lun had been lingering in the east and not returning was precisely his worry that Liu Xiu might strike a return blow. If he were here, he could handle it nearby, or at worst, fight another battle with Liu Xiu between the two Huai rivers.

"Though there are small bands of Wu troops raiding and harassing, the region north of the Huai is still secure," Zhang Yu reported. "It is about Liu Xiu's relocation of his capital."

Diwu Lun was immediately interested. While he was still in Qufu, he had already heard that Liu Xiu had gone all in on chenwei prophecies, only to have the plan backfire. The war-fearing faction within his state had submitted memorials en masse, hoping he would move the capital to Jinling in Jiangdong…

"Liu Xiu is finished." When Diwu Lun first heard this news, he nearly laughed like a squealing pig. If Liu Xiu agreed, it would mean losing the will to launch a northern expedition. The pro-expedition faction in his state would be utterly disillusioned. Settling for a corner in Jiangdong would only be a slow death. But if he refused, it would breed discontent among the appeasement faction. In short, a schism was already brewing within Wu Han.

So he was quite concerned about Liu Xiu's decision and urgently asked Zhang Yu, "Did Liu Xiu agree to move the capital to Jinling?"

That was the worst choice. Diwu Lun did not think Liu Xiu would be that foolish.

Sure enough, Zhang Yu shook his head. Diwu Lun then smiled and guessed again. "In that case, he is indeed imitating the ugly woman frowning, copying me by establishing five capitals — keeping Jiangdu unchanged while making Jinling a secondary capital?"

This was the solution Diwu Lun had devised by putting himself in Liu Xiu's shoes. To his surprise, Zhang Yu still shook his head. This made Diwu Lun even more curious. "How exactly did Liu Xiu respond?"

Zhang Yu presented a detailed report: "In the third month, Liu Xiu issued an edict stating that Jiangdu, previously designated, and Jinling, where he now resides, are both merely temporary imperial encampments."

"And that the Great Han — past, present, and future — has only one true capital."

"That is the old capital, Chang'an!"

Diwu Lun's smile slowly faded, turning to astonishment, and then to admiration.

"By moving the imperial seat to Jinling, he appeases the faction content with a partial realm; yet by declaring Chang'an the sole capital, his resolve to restore the House of Han and return to the old capital remains, inspiring the faction that advocates a northern campaign."

"What a man, that Liu Xiu! Truly a master at walking on eggshells!"