Chapter 633

The Sun family had already produced Provincial Graduates for four generations — a true scholarly household. With four successive generations of Provincial Graduates, no matter what the family's character or conduct might be, they would inevitably become one of the foremost great clans in the region. Only a household of such standing could raise sons who acted with composure, who did not need to throw themselves single-mindedly into their studies or worry day after day about making a living, and who could even hire martial instructors to teach the family's sons martial arts.

They entered the house and took their seats. The guards and household servants immediately served tea and poured water. Convention dictated that when visiting another's home, one should be reserved and self-possessed; looking around restlessly was considered rather improper. Yet after Sun Chuanting sat down, his gaze kept drifting.

Everything was perfectly normal, and yet everything was also very strange. A Provincial Graduate traveling to the capital with a study attendant and a household servant to look after him was normal enough, but no one had ever seen guards used as serving men.

The Zhenwu Guard of Dai Prefecture lay on the border between Taiyuan Prefecture and Datong Garrison. That area was both a flourishing hub for frontier and mutual trade markets and the front line of perennial conflict between the various Mongol tribes and the Great Ming. It was no peaceful place. There, one had far too many dealings with hardened, murderous soldiers and outlaws. Sun Chuanting, who hailed from there, had the experience and the eye for it — he could tell that these guards were all men who killed without blinking, and the blood of human lives staining them was by no means scant.

Yet he dared not conclude that Zhao Jin was the son of a military officer, a noble, or even a eunuch, because these guards who served tea and poured water possessed, beyond their killing aura and baleful qi, a certain discipline. Every movement they made was governed by strict, solemn order — a quality Sun Chuanting had never seen before.

What surprised Sun Chuanting most was that Wang Zhaojing sat to Zhao Jin's right, and his body was slightly turned — a posture and attitude that clearly signified a subordinate position. Why would a Provincial Graduate from a pure and honored household place himself beneath a commoner martial man?

Doubts aside, Sun Chuanting's self-cultivation and bearing were more than sufficient; his face betrayed no trace of anything unusual. However, when Wang Zhaojing mentioned that his father served as a Censor in the Chief Surveillance Bureau, he could not help but be visibly shaken — especially when Zhao Jin also very forthrightly stated that his own father was a Company Commander in a guard post.

What was a guard post Company Commander? Nothing at all. As long as he did not serve in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a Company Commander was, in the eyes of the scholar-official class, a creature on par with pigs and dogs — a man of the pettiest rank even in the border garrisons. A Censor in the Chief Surveillance Bureau could only be a Presented Scholar. A father who was a Presented Scholar, a son who was a Provincial Graduate — for a son of such a household to sit in the subordinate position to the son of a Company Commander was truly bizarre beyond belief.

After both sides had exchanged names, origins, and family backgrounds, the atmosphere grew even more congenial. Sun Chuanting was curious and wanted to relax; Wang Zhaojing knew that Zhao Jin was curious about all new people and things from the outside world. Naturally, everyone was quite open and forthcoming.

Before the conversation began, Zhao Jin could not help but cough twice. He recalled something: earlier, to avoid seeming too strange to the other party, he had not mentioned that his father was a constable in the yamen. But on second thought, his father was now the Garrison Commander of Xiao County. The son of a Garrison Commander could also be considered a military officer's son. Although it was far inferior to the son of a Provincial Graduate whose father was a Presented Scholar, it was at least presentable. Yet Zhao Jin himself never took this matter to heart, and when speaking, he had not even thought of it.

"... Xuzhou produces fine liquor. In recent years, there has been a kind called Hanjing Famous Liquor that has become quite popular throughout Taiyuan Prefecture and Datong, and on the grasslands it is regarded as a treasure. When you two gentlemen mentioned you hail from Xuzhou, this was the first thing that came to my mind..." Beginning by discussing the local products and specialties of the other party's hometown was a perfectly proper opening.

Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing wore smiles and nodded repeatedly. At a first meeting, it was best not to boast of one's own region's products.

"... I see that Brother Wang is well-versed in martial skills. May I ask what you make of the military situation in Liaodong?" Sun Chuanting's conversation was still directed mainly at Wang Zhaojing. It was not that he disdained Zhao Jin or anything of the sort; everyone in the room could see that this Graduate Sun seemed somewhat unsure of how to address Zhao Jin.

Wang Zhaojing, however, was unwilling to leave Zhao Jin out, and merely said with a smile: "My elder brother once discussed this with me. He said that when Supreme Commander Yang Hao leads the army out beyond the passes, there is probably little chance of victory. Of the hundred thousand or more troops, those truly capable of fighting likely number no more than ten thousand, and they cannot be united in one place. How can such small, isolated forces, each fighting on its own, contend with the newly risen great army of the Jianzhou Jurchens..."

Hearing this, Sun Chuanting could not help but clap his hands together and say with a laugh: "What profound insight you two have. I, too, do not hold much hope for Yang Hao's campaign this time. This is a war for the state, yet gathering the various route armies took nearly seven months — the initiative has already been lost. The Jianzhou Tatar slaves have long been prepared. Furthermore, having taken so long to assemble the troops, the campaign is now launched with such haste. Have the provisions, weapons, and armor even been fully gathered? Have the troops been drilled and trained? The preparations are so negligent, yet the army marches out with such arrogance and recklessness. It truly gives one no confidence."

Zhao Jin, who had remained silent, raised his head and looked at Sun Chuanting with considerable surprise. The etiquette and protocols of interaction among the wealthy, the noble, and the literary scholars were things Zhao Jin had never understood, nor could he be bothered to pay attention to them. Thus, in this setting, he had little desire to speak much; listening was quite enough.

But Sun Chuanting's analysis and judgment surprised him greatly. Zhao Jin himself always thought in terms of the ratio of officers and their personal retainers to ordinary soldiers, and how to compare the strengths and weaknesses of the forces on both sides. Yet the angles from which Sun Chuanting thought were ones he had never considered, or rather, had never noticed. This was likely the result of the Sun family's long residence in the border regions and their relatively close attention to the current situation. Zhao Jin also paid attention to the current situation, but naturally from a different angle.

"I did not expect Brother Sun to be so knowledgeable in military matters?" Zhao Jin could not help but say.

Hearing Zhao Jin's words, Sun Chuanting could not suppress a laugh. He waved his hand and said, "Brother Zhao flatters me excessively. Countless people can see such things; I am merely parroting the wisdom of others."

"Since so many people can see this, then why is the army still being sent out?" Zhao Jin asked again.

"Presumably, an account must be given to all under Heaven. Moreover, if Yang Hao's campaign fails, the presiding lords of the court will hardly escape blame..." Sun Chuanting trailed off here, stopping himself, and merely gave two cold laughs. Although there were no entanglements between them, some words were still best left unspoken.

The atmosphere of the conversation was very good, and each side revealed a little more. The Sun family had produced Provincial Graduates for four generations, and they had no small number of relatives, friends, and old acquaintances spread throughout the court and the provinces, with much mutual support and assistance. Sun Chuanting was very confident in his performance in the Metropolitan Examination. This was also one of the reasons why, though he had only been in the capital for about half a year, he was so well-informed about the political situation.

On the topic of scholars versed in military matters, Wang Zhaojing perceived that Zhao Jin wished to understand more, and so he deliberately steered the conversation to elaborate. Although such scholars were not common, they were not exactly rare. Military manuals and tactical treatises were, after all, a category of books. Those with the spare energy to read such works would naturally gain some understanding, and those who then knew how to analyze and comprehend them could grasp even more.

Moreover, the Great Ming placed great emphasis on civil officials leading the army. Originally, there had been Garrison Supervising Eunuchs and Army Inspectors to act as checks, but as time went on, civil officials increasingly held sole dominance. Civil officials of various ranks commanded troops in battle, with victories and defeats alike, but the lessons and experiences were preserved in writing. This, too, provided a channel for scholars to study and learn from.

In this way, scholars versed in military matters were nothing new. It was just that some treated it as a novelty to show off and loved to spout bombastic talk, while others delved deeply into it and truly gained some insight. Sun Chuanting was the latter.

However, while Sun Chuanting held no optimism for the Ming's current military campaign, he was not particularly worried about the future. He believed that the population of Jianzhou was no more than a million, while the territory of Liaodong alone was several times or even ten times that. One defeat did not mean every battle would be lost. The Great Ming could afford to lose; the Jianzhou Tatar slaves could not. In the end, there was only one path for them: defeat and destruction.

The two sides also touched implicitly upon the present Wanli Emperor's weariness with governance. This was also the consensus of Sun Chuanting, and indeed of all men of insight throughout the realm. The Son of Heaven was weary of governance; all state affairs were neglected. However, the Son of Heaven was in poor health. If a new sovereign ascended the throne, it was thought that a new atmosphere would surely prevail.

Meeting by chance like drifting duckweed, some words only needed to be hinted at. Still, this discussion broadened Zhao Jin's horizons. The scholars and literati of the Great Ming truly spoke freely and without restraint. Some things even he thought should not be said, yet everyone discussed them with cheerful ease. And one had to remember that both Wang Zhaojing and Sun Chuanting were men of steady and prudent character.

They had chatted for barely an hour when Sun Chuanting, still reluctant to leave, took his farewell. He still had to review his lessons. After the examinations, if the opportunity arose, they would meet again — whether for tea or for wine.

"Elder Brother, I have a feeling that this Sun Chuanting will do rather well in the Metropolitan Examination?" After seeing Sun Chuanting off and returning to the room, Wang Zhaojing said to Zhao Jin with a smile.

"What makes you say that?" Zhao Jin asked in return. They had been feeling rather stifled these days, and today's pleasant conversation — and the fact that Sun Chuanting was a man of considerable insight, not some pedantic, hidebound scholar — had lifted everyone's spirits considerably.

"Although I have never taken the examinations myself, I have heard others say that the great examination is the pivotal event of a man's life, more important than life and death. In the month before the exam, ordinary people are often so anxious and irritable that they cannot read or eat. That is why it is commonly said that one should not study before the exam, but rather relax the mind and seek amusement, striving only to enter the examination hall with a calm heart. Those who can settle their minds and study are either madmen or men of unshakable composure. Look at Sun Chuanting's temperament and breadth of mind — he is surely the latter. With such a disposition and bearing, I imagine he will not fare poorly."

After a few words of appraisal, Wang Zhaojing added with a sigh: "But this great examination does not depend on scholarship alone. It also depends on the person, and on Heaven. What the final result will be is truly hard to say."

"The Sun family has so many relatives and old friends in the capital, he is not short of silver, and he has real ability himself. There is nothing hard to say about it," Zhao Jin interjected.

Wang Zhaojing nodded with a smile after hearing this and said, "That is also true."

After saying this, Zhao Jin sat there somewhat lost in thought. It was the sound of Wang Zhaojing pouring tea that startled him awake. Zhao Jin scratched his head and said, "I don't know why, but the name Sun Chuanting sounds like something I have heard somewhere before."

"Oh?"

"Never mind. There is no telling how many people under Heaven bear the surname Sun. Perhaps he is a relative from Dalei's side." Zhao Jin did not want to tax his brain over this question, and waved his hand dismissively.

The days that followed were equally stifling. Sun Chuanting did not come to visit again. The guild hall became very quiet. Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing spent less and less time staying at the guild hall, and more and more time at the Wang residence, because sparring at the guild hall would create noise, and disturbing others was never good.

Then the Metropolitan Examination arrived. Perhaps because it was known that no real preparation had been done beforehand, Wang Youshan's market value had thoroughly cooled. No one held much hope for success in the exam, so the only person accompanying Wang Zhaojing to the examination hall was Uncle He. Wang Youshan kept Zhao Jin at home for a chat.

"... Up and down, in the court, no one asks about right or wrong, only which faction one comes from. I, too, am utterly disheartened and have long wished to return home to live in quiet retirement. The only reason I remain here is to accomplish a few things for you younger generation. You have secured a firm grip on things in Xuzhou, but outside, there is far too little you can do. At present, my market value has cooled, but my position and status remain. As long as there is enough silver, many matters can still be handled..."

There is just over a day left for double monthly tickets. If you have monthly tickets in hand, cast them now — otherwise, two tickets will become one.