Chapter 515: Heaven and Man

"Zhang Cang, what nonsense are you spouting! You deserve to die ten thousand deaths!"

Zhang Cang had barely finished speaking when Li Si cut him off. Chancellor Li's jade tablet struck Zhang Cang's back, forcing him to kneel before the Emperor and beg forgiveness. Li Si himself then bowed to Qin Shi Huang, pleading on behalf of his junior fellow disciple.

Why? Zhang Cang had spoken Xunzi's original meaning exactly. The Xun School, unlike other Confucian factions, fundamentally rejected any notion of resonance between Heaven and man. To them, untimely wind and rain, even a comet falling from the sky, were merely natural phenomena and in no way represented the will of Heaven behind them.

On this very point, Xunzi had even written a treatise titled "Discourse on Heaven" to criticize the widely accepted belief among other Confucian schools that "when a state is about to flourish, there will surely be auspicious signs; when a state is about to perish, there will surely be monsters and portents." He held that order or chaos is not caused by Heaven — everything is the result of human governance.

But such words, though speakable in private, absolutely could not be shouted atop Mount Tai! By doing so, Zhang Cang was not giving the Emperor a way out — he was tearing the entire stage down!

If there is no resonance between Heaven and man, if a ruler's governance, good or evil, cannot elicit any response from Heaven above, then what of all the auspicious omens that have lately sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain? Was Zhang Cang implying that, apart from Heifu, every single Commandery Governor and Commandant had been lying, each finding their own way to deceive the Emperor?

And furthermore, if Heaven is mere matter — nature rather than divinity — then what was the point of the Emperor's entire fengshan sacrifice? A performance for empty air? And what of all these years of bitter pursuit of immortality? Were the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West and Penglai Immortal Island also false? Did it mean there was nothing left but to resign oneself to fate, to birth, aging, sickness, and death?

Though Li Si stood opposed to the Confucian scholars, he dared not bring out this essay to challenge them, for the implications were too vast. Once unleashed, the consequences would be unthinkable. One had only to look at the Emperor's face, now even darker than before. Though the Emperor held some appreciation for Xunzi's teachings, he had always skipped over the "Discourse on Heaven" without discussion.

But Zhang Cang, still oblivious to mortal danger, lifted his head and stubbornly tried to explain: "What I mean is, Heaven does not cut short winter because men despise the cold. Earth does not shrink its vastness because men hate great distances. The gentleman does not abandon his conduct because petty men clamor against him. Your Majesty need not cut short your journey and descend the mountain in haste merely to avoid an ordinary rain..."

Seeing Zhang Cang making things worse with every word, Heifu hurried forward, cut him off, and cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, Zhang Cang bears no ill intent. He is too loyal to Your Majesty, considering only what benefits Your Majesty. To spare Your Majesty from descending the mountain abruptly, he simply forgot everything else!"

Inwardly, Heifu could not help but grumble. He had not yet even brought out his various theories on the supremacy of science, yet this native-born Zhang Cang had already gone and become the touchstone for "atheism."

Qin Shi Huang did not seem overly inclined to blame him. He waved his hand, dismissing the troublemaking Zhang Cang, then sat down on the mat and rubbed his temples, aching from the day's vexations: "Zhang Cang did say one thing right. A grand fengshan ceremony, ruined by a few clouds. All you ministers have behaved absurdly, unworthy of being high officials of the court. If word of this spreads down the mountain, will we not become a laughingstock?"

Wang Wan and the others looked ashamed. After an awkward silence, Heifu stepped forward and said:

"Gentlemen, Heifu is of shallow learning and has one matter he does not understand. A few days ago, among the auspicious omens presented by Langya Commandery, there was talk of rejoicing at sweet rain's arrival. In my old home of Nan Commandery, rain is also mostly a good thing. Yet why is rain an auspicious omen in Langya and Nan, but a calamity at Mount Tai? Who decided these so-called responses of Heaven's will?"

As everyone looked at one another in bewilderment, Ye Teng, standing to the side, spoke up: "You may not know this, but back when King Wu attacked Zhou, upon reaching a place called Xingqiu, a great rain suddenly fell from the sky. It poured for three days and three nights without ceasing, and a strange event occurred — the shields used by the soldiers broke into three pieces for no reason. Encountering rain and strange events during a military campaign or sacrifice has always been considered inauspicious."

"May I ask the Commandant of Justice," Heifu continued, "did King Wu win that battle?"

Ye Teng nodded: "At the Battle of Muye, they sang in the front and danced in the rear. The Shang soldiers turned their spears around. In the end, it was naturally a great victory. And the Grand Duke explained to King Wu that the shield breaking into three pieces meant the Zhou army should divide into three columns. The great rain that fell for three days without end was washing their armor and weapons, cleansing the army of the journey's dust so they could sweep forward in one charge!"

Heifu laughed heartily: "In that case, that rain was actually an auspicious omen for the Zhou army?"

His laughter fading, he bowed to Qin Shi Huang: "Your Majesty, from this we can see that Heaven's will is unfathomable. How can any single event be judged uniformly? To deem every instance of rain a portent of disaster and inauspiciousness..."

"Is that so?" Qin Shi Huang gave a cold laugh. In his heart, he saw clearly — this father-in-law and son-in-law were singing a duet, giving him a way out.

Just as Heifu and the other man were straining to reinterpret matters, the fangshi whom Qin Shi Huang had left halfway down the mountain also came to their aid. The self-proclaimed seventy-year-old Lu Ao bounded up to the summit with the stride of a young man and prostrated himself before Qin Shi Huang:

"Your Majesty! Great joy!"

"Where does this joy come from?" Qin Shi Huang was indeed in need of good news.

Lu Ao bowed his head: "The Zhou dynasty was ruled by the virtue of Fire, so encountering rain during sacrifices was deemed inauspicious. Over time, this became established doctrine. However, today I cast the Eight Trigrams and carefully worked through the calculations. Qin is ruled by the virtue of Water — the exact opposite of the Zhou. This rain that Heaven wishes to bestow is a grand auspicious omen! It is Heaven praising Your Majesty's achievements, and thus sending down sweet rain!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

At this moment, Heifu, regardless of the fact that he was theoretically opposed to the yin-yang fangshi, echoed Lu Ao's words and offered his congratulations to Qin Shi Huang. The voices of the assembled ministers followed one after another.

Well now — this awkward scene had finally been smoothed over.

Qin Shi Huang, however, showed no wild delight. He merely said a faint "Good," then announced that they would rest overnight in the newly built traveling palace on the mountain, with the ministers standing watch.

"Let no one speak again of descending the mountain to avoid the rain!"

Afterward, Qin Shi Huang did not seek shelter. He sat on the mat, raising his head to gaze long at the heavens. Only when the sky darkened and a fine drizzle began to patter onto the cloth canopy that Zhao Gao and the others held open for him did the Emperor withdraw his gaze.

At last, the rain came. A simple, ordinary rain, but having chosen this time and this place, it was subject to countless interpretations.

The Confucian scholars at the mountain's foot said it was brought on by meager virtue. The fangshi and ministers said it was a sign that Qin corresponded to the virtue of Water.

But what was the truth? Was Heaven's will something to be smeared and altered at will by the tongues of men?

As Emperor, at a moment like this, was there any choice besides deceiving oneself and being deceived by others?

There was!

"Minister of Ceremonies."

Qin Shi Huang called for the Minister of Ceremonies: "We have other words that must be reported to August Heaven. We wish to write another jade tablet. Bring another one."

"This..."

The assembled ministers looked at one another. Wang Wan seemed about to speak but stopped. The fangshi Lu Ao lowered his head in thought. Only Li Si sighed inwardly — this was exactly how His Majesty had looked back when he was at odds with Lü Buwei.

But no one bothered to mutter "this is not in accord with ritual." The events of the past few days had proven one thing beyond doubt: if the Emperor says it accords with ritual, then it accords with ritual!

The Minister of Ceremonies quickly had someone bring a jade tablet, along with a brush and cinnabar ink. Qin Shi Huang ordered everyone to withdraw. He took up the brush personally and wrote out a cinnabar document. He glanced to his left at Zhao Gao, then shifted his gaze forward, scanning the assembled ministers, and finally called one person to step forward.

"Heifu."

"Your servant is here!"

Heifu hastened forward and bowed.

Qin Shi Huang beckoned him closer — five paces, three paces, until a single pace remained, until he stood within arm's reach of the Imperial countenance.

At such close distance, the words spoken could only be heard by Zhao Gao on the left.

"Heifu, the ministers fear Heaven. Do you also fear Heaven?"

Heifu replied: "Your servant has often heard that the majesty of Heaven is hard to fathom. But compared to the vague and elusive Heaven, Your Majesty's pleasure and wrath more truly resemble Heaven's majesty. Even if there were a punishment from Heaven, it would come from Your Majesty's hand."

"Ha!"

Qin Shi Huang laughed: "At last, today, I have heard something pleasing to the ear. In that case, do something for Us."

It was nothing much, really — merely having Heifu set up a fire, using fine sappanwood for kindling. Because a light rain was already falling, Heifu struck his flint and steel several times before he managed to start the fire.

The flames blazed up. Heifu withdrew to the side and stood with the other ministers. Qin Shi Huang walked over slowly, cast the newly written jade tablet into the fire, and let its words turn to green smoke that drifted up into the sky.

Just moments before, as the rain began to fall, Qin Shi Huang had made a decision. He would speak some other words to Heaven above.

Unlike Zhang Cang, who believed Heaven and Earth were purely natural, Qin Shi Huang believed that Heaven's will existed. But his attitude toward Heaven, through this fengshan ceremony, had taken a sharp turn. This feeling of being toyed with by Heaven was truly too wretched!

"Whether or not Heaven's will exists in the unseen beyond,"

"Whether it be calamity or portent, rain or shine, do not think you can make Us bow Our head and flee in disarray!"

Though before others he would still style himself "Son of Heaven," in this new jade tablet, he would no longer humbly address Heaven as "I, the little child," no longer claim the station of Heaven's son.

"Men say that those whose deeds accord with Heaven are aided by Heaven; those whose deeds oppose Heaven are abandoned by Heaven. We unified the Six States and brought order to all within the seas. We consider this to have been acting in accord with Heaven, and thus We swept through like breaking dry twigs, encountering no stalwart foe."

"But now, We wish to make the realm eternally united, the Nine Provinces threaded as one, all under Heaven sharing common ways, passed down for ten thousand generations — yet this is a hundred times harder than the conquest! Is this opposing Heaven?"

"Even if this undertaking is not favored by Heaven, should it therefore be abandoned? Centuries of war, blood enough to float shields, thirty-one years of rising early and retiring late — should all of it dissolve into foam and shadow?"

Qin Shi Huang gazed up at the starless, moonless, pitch-black night sky and thought to himself:

"Just watch. Even if it's something you don't favor, even if it's a deed that defies Heaven, I will see it done, and done well!"

It was like a wager — a wager between the emperor and the heavens.

If I win, you grant me eternal life.

If I lose, then he who defies Heaven shall perish!

The world may have long ago arranged his fate, but it could not arrange his will.

Off to the side, Heifu watched the emperor, whose eyes blazed and fighting spirit surged, and knew that this proud sovereign seemed to have found a new driving force — or perhaps… an enemy?

He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "We're done for. What was written in that burnt jade tablet — it couldn't have been 'Struggling against Heaven is the greatest joy,' could it!"

(End of chapter)