Chapter 1138: The Tablet of the Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher

Besides, these scholars really did think things through more clearly. Ever since Zhao Jin's troops from Xuzhou arrived in Jining, they had acted with a strong sense of propriety and restraint in everything they did, which showed they still held some fear of the law and righteous principles. So when they saw this surging public sentiment, they would likely be somewhat afraid as well.

If everyone seized this moment to act, bringing the city's officials, people, and righteous volunteers to join in, and with one burst of momentum drove the Xuzhou tyrants out, then the sage sovereign and famed ministers, the local elders, would surely take note of such merit. It went without saying that each person would leave a name in the annals of history.

When alone, one might think calmly, might feel uneasy and doubtful. But when people gather together, you say a word, I say a word, and even those who did not believe come to believe. Fear and hesitation vanish like smoke, and they even become filled with righteous fervor and a desire for fame.

Even if one or two hesitated and held back, seeing so many schoolmates, seniors, and juniors present, they dared not act rashly on their own. Otherwise, public opinion was like a blade — in Jining scholarly circles, or across Yanzhou Prefecture and the lands of Shandong, they would gain a reputation for cowardice and spinelessness, and then everything would be ruined.

The sun rose. Around the prefectural school, no Xuzhou men ever appeared. This made the courage of Jining's literati and scholars swell even more. They did not rush to act, but waited for their schoolmates and companions from outside the city to enter.

Watching these scholars, in groups and droves, enter through the various city gates with grave expressions, muttering things like "sacrificing oneself for righteousness" and "Xuzhou rebels," the idle onlookers followed first. The common folk gradually followed as well. The crowd grew larger and larger, slowly converging into a stream of people.

"Ever since those Xuzhou tyrants came, we scholars have had our dignity swept away, and the state's institutions have vanished. We are deeply favored by the imperial grace, and now, when ten thousand horses stand mute, it is precisely the time for us to step forward!" In front of the prefectural school gate, from time to time someone would step out and speak with impassioned fervor. The instructor of the prefectural school had long since hidden away somewhere and refused to show his face at all.

Some came up merely to vent their anger, but others, standing on higher ground, spoke with great coherence: "Elders and seniors, those Xuzhou tyrants exploit the scholarly community and seize our lands. The benevolence the court bestowed upon us has been swept clean away by them. If this continues, we too will have to toil for mere livelihood and sustenance. How then could we have the heart to delve into the great principles of the sages? How could we serve the state and be loyal to the Son of Heaven!"

At these words, the crowd below erupted in clamor. Some beat their chests and stamped their feet, wailing loudly, sobbing as they said: "Ever since this humble student passed the examinations, my family's circumstances improved, and my relatives received care. But once those Xuzhou rebels came, our fine household scattered. Some were forced to become tenant farmers for the Xuzhou men, others were coerced into laboring for them. Truly, the suffering is unbearable. Misery, oh misery!"

A chorus of agreement rose around them. This man's lament was particularly loud, and the onlookers outside heard it clearly. By chance, there were those who recognized him.

"Scholar Wu has the nerve to speak here? After he passed the exams, his relatives brought their land to him for patronage. He took the deeds and swallowed up all the land, though he did give his relatives food to eat. But that was hardly lighter than hiring out as a long-term laborer outside the city. The farms the Xuzhou men run use slave contracts, and even those offer more benefits. Working there, you get your fill of food and even meat. Why wouldn't they go?"

"Keep your voice down. When these scholars get fierce, they can beat a man to death and the yamen won't dare hold them to account!"

These whispered discussions outside naturally could not affect the surging fervor of the Jining scholars. The more they spoke, the clearer it became to everyone: Xuzhou was trying to cut off their very means of survival. If they allowed the Xuzhou men to continue like this, everyone's status, everyone's privileges, everyone's income — all those things that placed them above others — would be gone entirely.

This gathering before the Jining Prefectural School was organized. News from all quarters could reach the school as quickly as possible. When the scholars arriving from various places were mostly assembled, three men walked toward the Sage Temple within the school grounds — the place where the Confucian sages and worthies were enshrined.

Not long after, they saw the man in the center walk out, holding a spirit tablet reverently in both hands. The other two followed respectfully on either side. From the temple gate outward, wherever there were scholars, silence fell.

From the innermost to the outermost, everyone knew what that spirit tablet was. Inscribed upon it were the words "Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher" — this was the spirit tablet of the sage Confucius. It represented the supreme authority of Confucian learning. Even the Son of Heaven had to bow in salute before this tablet. This was what the scholars relied upon.

After the man descended the steps of the temple, he raised the tablet of the Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher high with both hands. The literati and scholars instantly fell silent. No one knew who led it, but from the innermost to the outermost, they all knelt and prostrated themselves.

"Gentlemen, let loyalty, filial piety, and great righteousness come first. Bear firmly in mind the teachings of the Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher. Today, we go to seek justice from those Xuzhou tyrants!" the man holding the tablet proclaimed in a clear voice.

A clamorous response erupted from below. Someone stood up, filled with righteous indignation, and declared: "Gentlemen! The officials are cowardly and collude with the Xuzhou bandits. It falls to us to part the clouds and mist and see the clear sky. Today, whoever does not go — let us all cast him out!"

These words instantly ignited the crowd's mood. Everyone roared their assent, each one a picture of seething fervor. The man holding the tablet walked forward solemnly, and everyone rose to follow behind him.

Among the idle onlookers and common folk, any who were confused were barked at by the scholars walking in front: "Will you not make way? This is the spirit tablet of the Sage Confucius! Do you not fear bringing calamity upon yourselves?"

No matter how unlettered the common folk were, they had always heard the names of Confucius, the Sage Confucius. Upon hearing this, they hurriedly scrambled to either side. The more superstitious among them even knelt on the ground, kowtowing ceaselessly and murmuring apologies for their offense.

Compared to the common folk and idle onlookers who scattered to the sides, the feeling within the procession was entirely different. Many gazed with envy at the man holding the spirit tablet. He was around forty years of age, dressed in a half-worn blue robe. Though neat, patches could be seen at the hem. Now, this man stood ramrod straight, striding forward, his face seeming almost to glow.

"Chen Xianxiao has seized the glory this time. In the future, he may well become the leader of our Jining scholarly circles!"

"He's charging to the front this time. Who will pay him any mind afterward? He's just a poor scholar with no one to rely on. What good will stealing the limelight do him?"

"If this time we truly manage to do something about Xuzhou, how could the great households inside and outside the city not extend a hand? How could the authorities not bestow praise? He's failed the provincial exams for many years — this time, he might well have hope!"

"That's only if it succeeds. The Xuzhou tyrants are vicious and murderous. What if they truly tear away all pretense and fight?"

"You've come all this way and you're still so timid? With so many of us, the seeds of scholarship, going there, how would the Xuzhou tyrants dare to raise a hand? Look at how they usually act with restraint and propriety. Now that we're carrying the tablet of the Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher, they'll be even less likely to dare. If they touch the tablet, if they strike us, they'll make enemies of all the scholars under heaven. The upright officials in the court won't let them off, and they'll become the public enemy of the whole world!"

The two whispered to each other, growing more righteous and confident with every word. It was not just the two of them — everyone else was the same.

Every stretch they walked, someone would raise a fist and shout. At first, the shouts were varied and chaotic, but in the end, they coalesced into a unified chant: "Under the bright heavens, the Xu men must leave Lu!"

The more they chanted, the higher the fervor rose. Yet the common folk and idlers along the roadside could not quite understand. Someone muttered: "Why not just shout 'Xuzhou men, get out of Shandong'? Who can understand this bookish phrasing? It's infuriating!"

"Cut the chatter and hurry back to report!"

It was already the tenth month, past the busy farming season. People from all the surrounding villages and hamlets coming into the city were truly numerous. Seeing so many scholars in long robes on the move, many found it novel. Their habit of watching excitement kicked in, and they simply followed along. The literati and scholars gathered within Jining city numbered only a bit over three thousand, yet the people following them were already close to ten thousand, and growing more and more.

The yamen runners had never shown themselves. This surprised no one. Even with the Xuzhou Zhao Character Camp in the city, and even when they were not, with so many scholars gathered in a crowd, the runners would not have dared to interfere anyway. Yet the patrol guards who were everywhere in the city had also vanished. In ordinary times, if even a hundred people clustered together, patrol guards would appear at once. Now, with thousands upon tens of thousands gathered, they were still nowhere to be seen. This, in truth, made the scholars' procession increasingly emboldened.

Where the scholars' procession was headed was not hard to guess. They would not go near the garrison posts of the patrol squads — there were blades and spears there, and they would surely suffer in a clash. The First Brigade's garrison and the agricultural land reclamation farms were too far away, so they would not go there either. The most suitable target, the one most widely known, was the Jining branch of Cloud Mountain Trading.

Relying on its status as a canal hub, Jining was one of the wealthiest commercial ports under heaven. Opening a business here, especially a major merchant house like Cloud Mountain Trading, naturally meant the storefront had to be built magnificently and splendidly.

Moreover, the traveling merchants coming from south and north along the canal, both inside and outside Jining city, mostly dealt with this branch of Cloud Mountain Trading. Over time, people paid little mind to the so-called First Brigade or the Patrol Regiment, and all felt that this Cloud Mountain Trading Jining branch was the true center of Xuzhou's presence here.

After crossing two streets, the destination of the Jining scholars could be confirmed: it was the location of the Cloud Mountain Trading branch near Jining's western gate.

The procession did not move quickly. The man at the head held the tablet of the Ultimate Sage and Foremost Teacher with great solemnity. Both sides of the streets and the intersecting roads were already packed with people. Yet no one dared to stand in the way of the scholars' procession. The awe toward scholars, ingrained over so many years, was rooted deep in their hearts. Watching these future officials, these great lords, march in formation, everyone kept a respectful distance, afraid of blocking the path and inviting disaster.

Just like that, they strode proudly all the way to the vicinity of the Cloud Mountain Trading branch. When this branch was first built, Cloud Mountain Trading had purchased a vast area around it and laid it out as a public square.

From afar, the Jining scholars at the front could see squad after squad of patrol guards arrayed in neat formation before the Cloud Mountain Trading branch, waiting in full readiness.

The patrol guards wore their everyday uniforms — short robes of dark, thick cloth. But from a distance, there were flashes of light coming from behind some of the ranks, not quite like the glint of weapons. Mounted patrol guards could also be seen within the formation. Those with sharper eyes could even make out men standing on the rooftops and atop the walls of the Cloud Mountain Trading branch.

At this sight, the scholars' ranks stirred with agitation. They had expected the Xuzhou tyrants to use armed force to intimidate them, but having seen none the entire way, everyone had inevitably grown somewhat relaxed. Now, seeing this, they could not help but tense up.

Because of the tea I drank the day before yesterday, my sleep these past two days has been poor. I had thought to update around 4:30, but then I figured everyone would definitely say Old Bai was affected by the stock market or something. So I'm posting it now instead.

Everyone, if you're in a bad mood over the stock market, don't worry — ups and downs are perfectly normal. Throw your subscriptions, monthly tickets, and tips at Great Ming Warlord, change your luck, build up some good karma, and you'll surely see the clouds part and the moon shine through!

Thanks to old friends "Infantry Colonel" and "Yuan Heng Li Zhen" for their tips. Please, everyone, more subscriptions, monthly tickets, and tips — Great Ming Warlord needs your support!