Chapter 328: Strip Him of His Scholarly Rank

328. Chapter 328: Strip Him of His Scholarly Rank

Those big men shouted for people to clear the way; if anyone moved too slowly, they shoved them directly. This group didn't announce any name when they arrived, but the sharp-eyed ones had already recognized them.

"The Xu family of Jingshan. That one is Second Steward Xu Bende, from the Xu family's third branch. He manages the Xu family's affairs now."

The Xu family group dismounted, and the runners greeted them with smiles. Xu Bende stepped forward and spoke a few words in a low voice. The runners paused briefly, then nodded.

Among the four young men riding as escorts, one followed behind Xu Bende, while the others went off with the runners in another direction. And the sedan chair was carried directly inside the yamen gates just like that.

From the start until now, all sorts had come — powerful magnates, great households, xiucai and juren degree-holders. Some came in sedan chairs too, but every one of them had obediently stepped out and walked inside. This one actually had the chair carried straight in.

The idlers' minds turned quickly, and they guessed at once. Everyone grew a little excited, exchanging knowing smirks as they whispered, "It must be Bigfoot Xu."

Who doesn't get excited talking about women, let alone a heroine like this? For a moment, laughter rippled without end. But these idlers weren't blind to the situation, and they all kept their voices very low.

"Master Jin is here!" someone shouted. All the chatter stopped, and everyone looked toward the intersection on the east side.

What met their eyes was also a sedan chair, carried by four bearers, with several young men walking on either side of it.

The crowd paused, thinking — could it be that Master Jin was inside the sedan chair? Shouldn't he be riding a horse? But plenty of people in the city recognized Zhao Jin, and they spotted it at once: Zhao Jin was on the right side of the sedan chair, seemingly acting as a guard.

Master Jin, acting as a guard? Who had the standing to warrant that? But once the initial shock passed, the quicker minds figured it out.

Wang Youshan, retired and living at home — a presented scholar, a censor in the capital, and Wang Zhaojing's father. Whether by his pure and esteemed status or by his seniority as an elder, this arrangement was entirely proper by ritual standards.

Although Xuzhou's martial tradition flourished, the principle that civil was noble and martial base held true everywhere under heaven. Everyone felt this was perfectly normal.

"... A few days ago we put the word out for them to inquire into the Xu family's affairs, and as it turned out, we learned of several old incidents. Three years ago, Xu Zhenzhen spent money to hire men from the jianghu to slaughter several of her own clansmen who were contending for power with her. Two of those jianghu men were silenced, and the rest were all bought into submission..." Liu Yong spoke in a low voice beside Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin nodded. Discussing a young woman while walking beside a sedan chair was truly discourteous, so both of them kept their voices very low.

"... The entire Xu household, high and low, is now under this Xu Zhenzhen's control. That woman has ability — the coal and iron business grows bigger and bigger, and she's very fair. Whether someone is of the Xu family or not, if they have merit, they're promoted; if they err, they're severely punished. If I may be so bold, brother, the way this woman does things is very much like you..." Liu Yong ended with a small joke.

Zhao Jin laughed too, though the comparison was quite apt. He hadn't expected that in this era that valued men and slighted women, there would be a heroine like this.

The street in front of the yamen was now utterly silent. Earlier, whenever anyone arrived, the busybodies would cheer and jeer, but now not a single person made a sound. Over a hundred people had died of sudden illness in the jail — there was no way to hide that. Everyone could guess who had ordered it.

By rights, Zhao Jin had fought desperately to relieve Xuzhou and was the city's great benefactor. But the idlers had all been hiding at home back then; no one had dared go to the city walls. Who would feel gratitude now? Only awe and fear remained.

"Young Master Jin... Master Wang, you've come. Please, come inside." The runner in charge of greeting guests had no eye for Wang Youshan at all, heading straight for Zhao Jin with eager attentiveness. Only when Zhao Jin shot him a look did he catch on.

Wang Youshan stepped out of the sedan chair. Zhao Jin and his companions followed behind him, and together they walked inside.

The original second hall had been turned into a reception hall. The magistrate's seat was in the center, with two rows of chairs arranged on either side. They were now full of people, except that the first and second seats on the left and the first seat on the right were all empty. The second seat on the right was occupied by the Xu family's Xu Bende.

"Brother, they understand the situation well enough. The first seat on the left is reserved for my father. As for the second seat on the left and the first on the right, it depends on which one you choose, brother." Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

Wang Youshan glanced back over his shoulder. Wang Zhaojing chuckled and fell silent.

"Master Jin." "Young Master Jin." "Young Lord Zhao." The moment their group entered the room, the people sitting on the chairs on both sides rose one after another, greeting him with eager attentiveness.

They said civil was noble and martial base, but everyone here was a native of Xuzhou, and they knew perfectly well who carried more weight in Xuzhou. Besides, everyone had a clear sense of the recent events. Who would dare show disrespect? As for Wang Youshan, everyone considered him pure and esteemed — his status was indeed the highest in Xuzhou, but that was all.

Zhao Jin, however, was full of courtesy, nodding and greeting each person. Only then did everyone politely bow and pay their respects to Wang Youshan. Wang Youshan's face bore a gentle smile, and he showed not the slightest anger at being slighted.

Wang Youshan took the first seat on the left. Zhao Jin sat in the second seat. The companions who had followed him in were about to stand behind him.

They themselves found this natural, but how could those already standing dare let them remain on their feet? They hurriedly deferred and insisted, making Chen Sheng, Dong Bingfeng, and the others sit down in order. Ji Xiang had returned to He Village early that morning, and Shi Manqiang was still on the road. Liu Yong sat for a moment, then immediately rose and went to stand behind Zhao Jin in attendance. As for Wang Zhaojing, by custom he stood behind his own father.

After all this shuffling, the first seat on the right remained empty. The Xu family's Xu Bende was quite deferential, pressing Candidate Cai to take that seat. In terms of status and standing, only Candidate Cai's seniority and position were worthy of it.

Everyone chatted and flattered with smiling faces. Xu Bende also exchanged a few polite greetings. Only one person's expression was rather unsightly, and few people were around him — that was Candidate Yang, Yang Zhongping.

Xuzhou's literary atmosphere was weak; a juren was already a figure of considerable stature. For the relief and recovery efforts, the juren had to be invited as well, especially since Candidate Yang was a resident of Xuzhou city. Rules were rules, but everyone knew Candidate Yang had lost influence and, moreover, had offended Zhao Jin's side. No one paid him any attention.

Candidate Cai, on the other hand, lived in Qulipu and had never had much contact with the various circles. People's attitude toward him had been merely proper and conventional. But now, seeing Candidate Cai chatting so amiably with Zhao Jin, everyone grew warm and cordial toward him too.

The more observant even noticed that after Zhao Jin and Candidate Cai had spoken so closely, even the old man of Wangshan, Wang Youshan, became more courteous and exchanged a few extra words — earlier he had merely nodded.

"His Honor the Magistrate arrives!" A runner called out, and everyone rose to their feet. After all, Magistrate Tong Huaizu was the local parent-official; the face due to him still had to be given.

Tong Huaizu walked in with a very grim expression, waved his hand listlessly to gesture for everyone to sit, and only after that motion did he remember to bow and greet Wang Youshan. The gap in their status was vast. Secretary Wang, the clerks of the six offices, and the headmen of the runners also followed in.

"This official has summoned everyone here..." Once seated, Tong Huaizu began, coming straight to the point. He only wanted to get this over with quickly.

"Magistrate Tong, Wang is being presumptuous, but before we begin discussions, please have this shameless and immoral wretch expelled, lest he scheme up some further harm." Wang Youshan interrupted the magistrate without the slightest courtesy, and without the slightest courtesy pointed straight at Yang Zhongping.

Tong Huaizu was stunned. Yang Zhongping's face turned deathly pale. Everyone's eyes turned toward him, and in their gazes there was no sympathy, only contempt.

"This..." Tong Huaizu stumbled over his words. Wang Youshan sat there and continued, "I have heard that this shameless wretch, for his own selfish ends, deluded Magistrate Tong into refusing the joint defense offered by the various militias. Had Zhao Jin not led his men to the rescue, Xuzhou city would likely have fallen into the bandits' hands, and over a hundred thousand common folk would have suffered a great calamity. Does such a treacherous and shameless wretch still have the standing to discuss relief and recovery?"

At these words, the gazes directed at Yang Zhongping held not only contempt but also deep resentment. The siege of Xuzhou city had been perilous from start to finish. Had Zhao Jin not stepped forward, a great disaster would have long since occurred. No one had imagined there was this layer to the story. The conversation between Yang Zhongping and Magistrate Tong Huaizu had been very private; many had not known of it. Now that they learned of it, they immediately burned with resentment.

Magistrate Tong jolted, then swept his gaze around the room, looking at those servants and runners whose expressions were seemingly respectful — or who couldn't even be bothered to feign respect. Who had leaked this discussion? Tong Huaizu's face grew uglier and uglier.

Yang Zhongping's face grew whiter and whiter, his body trembling uncontrollably. No one spoke, because the authority to expel him or do anything else rested solely with the magistrate.

But Candidate Yang himself could not hold on. He lowered his head and rushed for the door. He tripped over the threshold, scrambled up without looking back, and fled in a daze, utterly dejected.

His retreating figure looked pitiful, but knowing the unconscionable, ruinous things he had done, no one felt any sympathy.

Wang Youshan gave a cold snort and continued in a grim tone, "Magistrate Tong, such a degenerate of the scholarly world has no regard for the greater good. He should be stripped of his scholarly rank, and a thorough investigation should be made into any lawless acts. If it is inconvenient for Magistrate Tong to act, Wang still has a few old acquaintances in the capital and in Nanjing."

The meeting hall fell utterly silent. Candidate Cai and the other scholars stared at Wang Youshan, their faces full of disbelief and shock.

A scholar's very lifeline was this scholarly rank and status. With this status, one could be exempt from taxes and corvée, could face officials without kneeling, and could weave a vast network of connections in the locality. Stripping someone of their scholarly rank was tantamount to stripping away all of this — tantamount to utterly destroying that person.

Everyone knew this was driving a man to a dead end. The scholarly world was also unwilling to set too many precedents, so they would protect one another, standing together as one.

Of course, what Yang Zhongping had done this time was indeed deranged and depraved, nearly causing an irreparable catastrophe. Getting this retribution was only what he deserved. What truly left everyone incredulous and shocked was this: Wang Youshan, the old man of Wangshan, a presented scholar, a censor in the capital — a man of such pure and esteemed status — was going to such lengths to stand up for Zhao Jin?

A man like Wang Youshan would be extraordinary even in the capital or Nanjing; here in the Xuzhou region, he was transcendent and revered. And yet he was helping Zhao Jin so unreservedly, without a care for anything else?

What virtue or ability did Zhao Jin possess? Everyone knew he was a hero beyond compare, but they had never imagined it had reached such a point!