Chapter 1287: Comparing Xuzhou to Mighty Qin

In the Northern Zhili region, there was another voice — a faction that hated the Zhao Family Army to the marrow of their bones and swore irreconcilable enmity. It was not hard to find out who these people were; some even came forward on their own to tip us off. They were the local gentry, the batch who had risen to prominence through imperial examination honors: well-to-do licentiates, juren who dominated whole regions, and metropolitan graduates who had retired from office and returned home as esteemed, untitled men of influence.

The conduct of the Xuzhou Zhao Family Army in Beijing and Tianjin had spread everywhere, and so had the fawning overtures of court officials and the whispered rumors hinting at defection. These examination-bred gentry all realized one thing: the Zhao Family Army did not hold them in much regard. Throughout the dynasties, whether Hua Xia or barbarian, whether imperial court or regional warlord, all had treated scholars with courtesy and sought to win them over. Even when dynasties changed, as long as the scholars of the former dynasty offered no resistance, they were certain to receive decent treatment under the new one.

By all reasoning, this northern expedition by the Zhao Family Army to Beijing and Tianjin, beyond its military implications, was already meant to show the world what they were about. Everyone would decide their stance based on that display. The Zhao Family Army were also children of Hua Xia, so defecting to them would carry no guilt or stigma of being a traitor. Yet the Zhao Family Army had made it unmistakably clear that they did not value civil scholars — or rather, they had shown no regard for these esteemed gentry.

If that was the case, then should a power like Xuzhou ever take the realm, everyone's present glory, wealth, and rank would all vanish like smoke. Some even felt panic. The Zhao Family Army had bombarded the city walls, yet they withdrew unhurriedly without a care, making no effort to win hearts here, nor accepting any defections. Their every action defied convention. No one could fathom what they intended to do, which meant they would have no connection to anyone here.

According to reports that had come through the passes, even the Jianzhou Jurchen slave-barbarians, when they captured the cities and towns of the Liao garrison, still knew enough to treat civil scholars and educated men well, and knew to recruit those Confucian scholars. Even those tiger-and-wolf-like savages had such awareness. Yet the Xuzhou Zhao Family Army, fellow children of Hua Xia situated in the land where the dragon arose, did not. How could anyone defect to such an absurd and perverse power? Only annihilation would be best.

"The reason they act this way is partly their own perception, and partly deliberate instigation by others — for instance, those in the capital, especially the high officials who hinted or openly signaled to us and got no response. They are certainly the main force behind the push."

"That is hardly surprising. We are an existence beyond their understanding; naturally they feel panic, naturally they will be utterly hostile."

"Those who recognize the times are heroes; those who do not are hardly worth recruiting, and there is no need to feel any regret. If we do not tear down the old, we cannot build the new."

Ma Chonghao took this matter very seriously, but when he reported it to Zhao Jin, Zhao Jin was unconcerned and merely offered a few brief remarks. For the Zhao Family Army, the most important task now was to return with the army; the most pressing matter at hand was that Zhao Jin intended to host a banquet in Linqing City for Shandong's prominent figures and great clans.

Before Zhao Jin had even set out on the return journey from Tianjin, fast riders had already raced back to Linqing. With the Li family, father and son, taking the lead in organizing, and the Internal Guard and the Trade Office coordinating, the leading figures of the five prefectures — Dongchang, Jinan, Qingzhou, Dengzhou, and Laizhou — were all on the invitation list. Zhao Jin had bluntly put out the word: "Those who do not come this time will have no chance to come next time."

These murderously chilling words struck terror into every heart. Shandong's powerful magnates and gentry followed the Zhao Family Army's progress even more closely than people anywhere else in the realm. They learned of every great victory almost at once, and they sent men out to gather intelligence. Everything that had happened in Northern Zhili was crystal clear to them. And so, no one dared to ignore Zhao Jin's invitation. By carriage, by horse, by sedan chair, they all hurried toward Linqing.

Only when word reached the capital that the Xuzhou troops had passed through Cangzhou did the entire city breathe a sigh of relief. The emperor and the civil and military officials could finally begin to put things in order. What to do going forward — that was the urgent dilemma confronting every man. At a time like this, some even began to envy the Donglin partisans who had already retired on grounds of age and ill health. In the present situation, they had washed their hands and walked away, leaving the thankless mess — a hopeless tangle with nothing but infamy in store — dumped squarely on everyone else's heads.

By this time, the Tianqi Emperor had at last stopped doing carpentry inside the palace. In fact, Wei Zhongxian had ceased purchasing or sending any carpentry-related goods or pursuits into the inner court. Now, day after day, the Tianqi Emperor gathered with the eunuchs of the inner court and the ministers of the outer court in the Wenyuan Pavilion to handle state affairs. In these sessions, Wei Zhongxian, the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who just days earlier had held sway over the entire court, stood further back and rarely spoke. This was because the newly appointed Senior Grand Secretary, Sun Chengzong, commanded such immense authority that even the Tianqi Emperor treated him with considerable deference.

This was precisely the state of affairs that the upright purists had dreamed of: the Son of Heaven no longer wallowing in pleasure but personally attending to governance and holding court; the eunuch faction no longer running rampant, with mature and prudent ministers now managing affairs both within and without. By all rights, this should have been the glorious situation of "the righteous fill the court" and "a restoration is at hand." Yet as sovereign and ministers faced each other in the court assemblies, every man was disheartened and dejected; they merely went through the motions, stiff and numb, busying themselves with tasks.

With the Zhao Family Army visibly moving farther and farther from the capital, the indemnity payments stipulated in the treaty and related matters had to be put on the agenda. More than one person wanted to say they should simply be ignored. But thinking back to the deep, rumbling roar outside the capital that day, and the great pockmark-like craters on the city walls, no one could muster the courage.

"Your Majesty, at present it is better to let sleeping dogs lie than to stir up more trouble. The Xuzhou rebels are fierce and ruthless; the government troops still cannot match them, so we must not rashly provoke hostilities. Moreover, Your Majesty has already affixed the imperial seal — this also touches upon the dignity of the state. What must be given, let us give; there will be opportunities to take it back in the future!" The only man in the court who dared to speak this way was the Senior Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong. He cared little for popular reputation or the judgments of the pure critics, and was able to consider problems with a rare purity. Had it not been for such a character, he would never have volunteered to oversee military affairs in Liaodong. With Sun Chengzong's status and position, had he remained in the Grand Secretariat, he would inevitably have become Senior Grand Secretary — why endure taking up the post at this moment of crisis?

With the Senior Grand Secretary having spoken, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, the Tianqi Emperor included. He nodded and said, "Let it be as Mister Sun advises. Have the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Ministry of Revenue handle this as quickly as possible."

The officials charged with the task all assented. Sun Chengzong, Yang Lian, and Zuo Guangdou exchanged glances. Sun Chengzong rose and said, "Your Majesty, the rebel army bombarded the capital and forced the court to sign that treaty at Tianjin — a treaty that humiliates the nation and forfeits its sovereignty, ceding territory and paying indemnities. This is a disgrace and outrage the like of which has not been seen in centuries."

The Tianqi Emperor sighed helplessly. Everyone knew the truths Sun Chengzong was speaking, yet every time they were brought up, they were deeply unpleasant to hear. Still, Tianqi knew that Sun Chengzong had more to say.

"Your Majesty, the state is in peril. We cannot go on without rousing ourselves, without making a determined effort to govern well. The reports coming back from every quarter all say it plainly: those Xuzhou rebels are no rabble, nor are they mere refugees banding together. They are powerful magnates drilling private troops, intercepting grain taxes. Every move they make follows a clear design. Your Majesty, if the Xuzhou rebels can achieve this, why can the court not do the same?"

After the treaty, this line of argument was being raised for the first time. Everyone had spoken of the Xuzhou rebels as a disorderly mob relying on a moment's reckless ferocity — at best, no better than barbarians or slave-raiders. But Sun Chengzong would not say so. For a moment, everyone's interest was piqued. The Tianqi Emperor also sat up a little straighter, though his face remained pallid. Ever since the Xuzhou rebels had taken Tianjin and pressed on the capital, Tianqi's health had been persistently poor.

"Your Majesty, why are the rebels strong? Why are the rebels rich? It is nothing more than their use of the Legalist way. They disregard ritual and moral instruction and practice only agriculture and war. Xuzhou emphasizes commerce and industry, and colludes with the great sea bandits. But when you trace it to its essence, it is still nothing more than a variant of farming — gathering provisions and wealth for the sake of war," Sun Chengzong declared with fervor.

"Is that not precisely the way the tyrannical Qin governed the realm? It perished after only two generations — how could it possibly endure?" someone could not help interjecting.

All those who could take part in such court deliberations were deeply learned men. When this was mentioned, they could all think of the relevant precedents and were even capable of citing and expanding upon them. In such a setting, only Wei Zhongxian was somewhat lacking, but the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial were on hand to explain things to him.

"Qin is called tyrannical Qin, but it can also be called mighty Qin. After unifying the realm, it fell in two generations, yet before that, it towered over the six kingdoms — it was the strongest of the Warring States!" Sun Chengzong continued.

Over on the side, Wei Zhongxian furrowed his brow slightly. With the network of eyes and ears at his command, he generally had a fair idea of what would be said in the court deliberations. But these circumlocutions irritated him. Why not just say what you meant directly? Why all the roundabout talk, dragging in other things first?

"The rebels practice Qin law, and they have forged a mighty army. Since practicing Qin law can forge a mighty army, the court can likewise use Qin law to strengthen the state and the army, to resist the rebels and destroy the rebels," Sun Chengzong laid out his proposal.

Those taking part in the deliberations all nodded. By this point, there were no other methods left to try. Over the past few years, whether the eunuch faction held absolute power or the righteous filled the court, Great Ming had remained the same. It had not improved because of who dominated the political stage, nor, it seemed, had it worsened because of anyone. Yet everyone could reach one conclusion: the current methods were incapable of strengthening the state and the army. At the very least, achieving rapid change would be extremely difficult.

At this, everyone's eyes — including the Tianqi Emperor's — converged on Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou. These two were, after all, the present leaders of the upright purist faction, the men most insistent on the great principles of the sages. Abandoning the classics of the sages in favor of something called "Qin law" was certain to cause trouble. If nothing else, the censors and supervising secretaries would surely pester them endlessly. Moreover, Qin law and the Legalist way had an inherent problem: Qin had fallen after two generations. Did adopting Qin law mean wishing that Great Ming would not last beyond two generations either?

Having lived through so many political struggles and tides of censorial opinion, everyone had their own predictions about how the censors and the court would attack. Since they could foresee this trouble, the stance of the two purist leaders was critical.

"In times of crisis, one must bend the rules. The state is in peril. Using Qin law harms the people, but if we do not strengthen ourselves and strive forward, we risk the calamity of national destruction. Of two harms, choose the lesser. I concur with Grand Secretary Sun's proposal," Yang Lian spoke slowly.

"What can be implemented can also be abolished. Once the realm is cleansed and purified, it would not be too late to return to the old laws," was what Zuo Guangdou said.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Since the purist leaders thought this way, there was nothing left to worry about. But they also quickly realized that the Grand Secretariat must have already reached a consensus on this. Wang Zaijin, seated further down, had not uttered a word, but it was evident he had no objections.

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